The Email That Triggered the Storm
Leon Botstein’s resignation from every Bard-affiliated post came after congressional investigators highlighted an email he allegedly sent to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. The message, retrieved from the Epstein files and originally sent from Botstein’s Bard address president@bard.edu, reads: “Is [Jane Doe] for me, or are you keeping her for yourself.”
Democratic lawmakers Jamie Raskin and Madeleine Dean say the correspondence relates to a young foreign model and aspiring vocalist whom Epstein was grooming throughout 2014. They contend Epstein offered her career advice while simultaneously pressing her to take sex‑education and massage courses and employing her while he sexually abused her. By mid‑2014, the lawmakers argue, Epstein was trafficking the woman across state and international lines, using his connection to Botstein to persuade her that a modelling career could lead to a successful musical future.
Congressional Pressure and the Call for Inquiry
Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, together with Dean, forwarded a letter to Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel demanding a criminal investigation into Botstein. The letter asserts that the evidence meets the federal threshold for opening a probe, yet the Department of Justice and the FBI had possessed the material for at least 18 months without acting.
The lawmakers also disclosed that they have received testimony from more than a dozen whistleblowers alleging decades of unpunished sexual misconduct at Bard. In their view, the email is not an isolated slip but part of a broader pattern that warrants federal scrutiny.
Bard’s Response and Botstein’s Resignation
Brandon Weber, chair of Bard College’s board of trustees, confirmed that the institution had received additional communications from Raskin and was undertaking “a full review” of the allegations while cooperating with the congressional inquiry. Weber said the executive board voted unanimously to accept Botstein’s resignation.
In his own statement, Botstein denied any wrongdoing: “any assertion that I knew of or was involved in Epstein’s criminal behaviour is wrong.” He added, “But I do not want to see even false allegations about me put the institution I have served for more than half a century at any risk,” explaining that he stepped aside to shield Bard from distraction.
Botstein further insisted the disputed email was not authored or sent by him, calling the allegations “untrue.”
The resignation follows an earlier decision to step down as president in May after an independent review by WilmerHale law firm revealed Botstein made roughly 25 visits to Epstein’s townhouse, a two‑day stay on Little St James Island, and hosted Epstein twice on campus. Those visits, the report noted, involved multiple women later identified as Epstein’s victims. Botstein had previously claimed he was not a friend of Epstein, a contention the WilmerHale findings challenge.
Why it Matters
Botstein’s abrupt exit underscores how allegations tied to a historic sex‑trafficking network can reverberate through respected academic institutions, prompting swift leadership changes even in the absence of criminal charges. The case raises pressing questions about oversight, the handling of red‑flagged communications, and the responsibility of colleges to scrutinise the personal associations of long‑serving figures. As Congress presses for a federal probe, the outcome may shape future policies on transparency and accountability within higher education, signalling that ties to individuals under investigation for serious crimes will no longer be tolerated without rigorous examination.
