Leon Botstein, the long-serving former president of Bard College, has resigned from all remaining roles at the institution. His departure follows the public disclosure of an email exchange between Botstein and the late convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. In the correspondence, Botstein inquired about a young woman, asking Epstein if she was “for me, or are you keeping her for yourself.”

Following the surfacing of this email, a prominent Democratic lawmaker has formally requested a criminal investigation into Botstein’s conduct. The resignation marks the end of a 50-year tenure at the college, during which Botstein had already transitioned out of the presidency. While the college has not issued a detailed public statement regarding the specific allegations, the timing of the resignation coincides directly with the mounting political pressure and the call for a federal inquiry into his association with Epstein. The situation remains fluid as investigators examine the extent of the relationship between the educator and the financier.