Bard College President to Retire After Furor Over Epstein Ties

Bard College President Leon Botstein is retiring from the institution he led for half a century after revelations about his well-documented relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein came to light.

“After completing 51 years as the president of Bard, I am announcing that I will be retiring from the presidency at the end of this academic year, June 30, 2026,” Botstein wrote in a letter to the campus on Friday.

Bard College President Leon Botstein

Photographer: Philip Kamrass/AP Photo

Botstein spent time with the disgraced financier, including on a trip to the Caribbean in 2012, according to emails released by the US Department of Justice. One ...