Hudson Valley College President Resigns Amid Epstein Probe

A now former college president in the Hudson Valley has now resigned from all positions at the school amid new allegations involving his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Bard College President Of 50 Years Resigns Amid Explosive Epstein Allegations

Leon Botstein, who led Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson for more than 50 years, stepped down from all remaining positions last week.

This follows a new wave of allegations connecting him to Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking operation and a separate pattern of alleged sexual misconduct cover-ups on campus.

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The Bard's Board of Trustees unanimously accepted his resignation. He had previously announced in the spring of 2026 that he would step down from the presidency, a role he held since 1975, but had remained affiliated with the college in other capacities until this week.

New Allegations

New allegations say that Botstein solicited a victim from Jeffrey Epstein, enabled his sex trafficking, and protected a campus sexual predator. These new allegations come from unredacted emails and a new whistleblower report regarding the campus culture under his leadership

The resignation followed a formal letter from House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin and Representative Madeleine Dean, who are calling on the Department of Justice and FBI to investigate Botstein as a potential co-conspirator in Epstein's sex trafficking operation.

The lawmakers said they uncovered a previously redacted 2014 email they allege was sent by Botstein to Epstein regarding a young foreign model and aspiring vocalist whom Epstein was allegedly grooming.

In the email, the sender wrote: "Is [Jane Doe] for me, or are you keeping her for yourself?" The committee alleges Epstein used his relationship with Botstein and Bard College to lure the woman under the guise of evaluating her musical abilities.

Botstein has denied authoring the email and denied any knowledge of or involvement in Epstein's crimes.

The congressional letter also states that Botstein "likely enabled and possibly even participated in" Epstein's abuse, and that investigators are examining whether Epstein used his ties to Bard, including through the college's Smolny College program, to facilitate trafficking.

Separate from the Epstein allegations, the committee says it received reports from more than a dozen whistleblowers alleging that Botstein personally engaged in sexual misconduct, interfered in campus Title IX proceedings, and used his influence to protect faculty members accused of sexual predation.

Botstein denied those allegations as well, saying he resigned solely to protect the college from further controversy and distraction.

Bard College, located in Dutchess County along the Hudson River, is one of the most prominent liberal arts institutions in the Hudson Valley.

Botstein's tenure, which spanned more than five decades, is one of the longest presidencies of any major American college or university.

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