Leon Botstein announced he will step down as president of Bard College following an independent investigation into his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Botstein has led the liberal arts college for 50 years.

The investigation was conducted by the WilmerHale law firm, commissioned by Bard's board of trustees earlier this year to examine Botstein's interactions with Epstein. The review contradicted Botstein's previous claims that he was not friends with Epstein.

According to the investigation's findings, Botstein made approximately 25 visits to Epstein's Manhattan townhouse and spent two days at Epstein's Little St James Island. Epstein also visited the Bard campus on two occasions. The report noted that these visits included "multiple women" who have since been identified as victims of Epstein's abuse.

The WilmerHale investigation concluded that Botstein's frequent interactions with Epstein "could have alerted" him to the possibility that he and Bard College would be facilitating Epstein's abuse of women. The extent of contact between the two men was significantly greater than Botstein had previously disclosed publicly.

Botstein's departure marks the end of a five-decade tenure at Bard College, where he has served as president since the 1970s. The announcement comes amid continued scrutiny of academic and cultural institutions' ties to Epstein, who died in federal custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.