The president of Bard College, Leon Botstein, extended an invitation to Jeffrey Epstein to visit a high school in New York City, using a rather clever reference to the author of “Lolita,” a novel infamously associated with Epstein’s criminal history. Records indicate that Epstein had donated $125,000 to the institution.
This flattery came years after Epstein had been convicted of prostitution involving minors and served a 13-month sentence in Florida.
“I truly value this newfound friendship and have a lot of respect for your approach,” Botstein expressed in an email thread from March 2013, where Epstein’s name appeared numerous times in the correspondence.
In a rather nonchalant manner, Botstein suggested that Epstein drop by Bard High School, despite it being home to teenagers akin to the age of Epstein’s former victims.
“Why don’t you go to Bard High School this afternoon instead?” Botstein wrote on February 28, 2013, in conversation with Epstein.
Botstein, at 79, seemed to be pointing to the Bard High School Early College campus located in the East Village, based on recently released Department of Justice documents.
Additionally, Botstein’s assistant, Katherine Luigi, reached out to Epstein in 2012, inviting him to the Byrd High School Queens campus. “I’d like to ask Mr. Epstein if he might be willing to come to BHSEC Queens, just over the 59th Street Bridge, for a meeting,” she mentioned in a communication.
Despite claiming in a recent letter to the Bard community that Epstein never attended the school, Botstein noted that Epstein had visited the Bard College campus multiple times, 90 miles upstate from New York City.
Botstein appeared quite at ease discussing Epstein, even referencing Russian author Vladimir Nabokov and his controversial work. Nabokov’s “Lolita,” centers on an adult’s sexual fixation on a pre-teen, yet Epstein reportedly kept a first edition of the book in his Manhattan residence.
Epstein also referred to Botstein in his communications, showing familiarity that might raise eyebrows. In an email from September 30, 2013, he requested an aide to take a woman shopping, suggesting she needed to dress suitably for Botstein’s company.
In his defense to the Bard community, Botstein characterized the “warm tone” of his messages with Epstein as typical for fundraising efforts, asserting, “My interactions with Epstein were solely about soliciting donations for the university.” He emphasized that Epstein was not a personal friend, but rather a potential benefactor.
“While he portrayed himself as a philanthropic billionaire with an interest in the arts, many programs were often underfunded,” Botstein observed.
Files revealed Epstein’s connection to Botstein and Bard dating back to 2011, introduced through Anthony Barrett, a colleague linked to Byrd High School. Botstein noted that Epstein’s initial contribution of $75,000 in 2011 was appreciated, and he eventually contributed an additional $50,000 and a computer for Bard’s early college program.
Documents include a mention of an arrangement for Epstein to visit Bard College in February 2013, with a note about needing details for a helicopter ride with Botstein.
Bard High School Early College is recognized as one of the city’s most exclusive schools, allowing students to secure both a high school diploma and an Associate of Arts degree within four years—a model lauded by educational leaders, including President Obama during a 2009 speech.
