Bard College president to retire amid Epstein scrutiny
Leon Botstein has announced his retirement following revelations about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. He has served as president of Bard College for 50 years. (sources: npr, fortune, thehill, cbsnews, ap)
Leon Botstein will retire from his position as president of Bard College at the end of June. His decision follows increased scrutiny of his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
- Botstein has been president of Bard College for 50 years.
- His retirement comes after revelations about his deeper relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
- The scrutiny over his ties to Epstein has been significant in the months leading up to his announcement.
Why it matters
The retirement highlights the impact of personal associations on leadership positions in educational institutions.
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2 bills on this issue are moving right now — and the most active one is PROTECT Our Children Reauthorization Act of 2025.
S.539 · 119th Congress
PROTECT Our Children Reauthorization Act of 2025
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What S.539 actually does
This story is about Leon Botstein retiring as Bard College president after scrutiny over his ties to Epstein. This bill would reauthorize funding for the ICAC Task Force Program and require improved law enforcement training to combat online child exploitation.
If passed, it would:
- Extends funding for the ICAC Task Force Program to fight online child exploitation • Mandates improved training and updates to child protection initiatives like the AMBER Aler.
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This story is about Leon Botstein retiring as Bard College president after scrutiny over his ties to Epstein. The bill would reauthorize and expand federal anti-trafficking programs, create prevention education grants, and update country tier standards for trafficking evaluation.
If passed, it would
- Reauthorizes and expands federal anti‑trafficking programs through 2029 • Creates Frederick Douglass Human Trafficking Prevention Education Grants and updates tier.
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