Harvard’sKennedy School of Governmentwill not remove the name of a formerJeffrey Epsteinassociate from a campus building due to “legal obligations,” the dean said Wednesday.
In an email to the school community, Kennedy School DeanJeremy M. Weinsteinsaid that Harvard received a request in March to remove billionaireLeslie H. Wexner’sname from the building.
“Following an initial review as outlined in the University’s de-naming process, the Office of the President has informed me and those who submitted the request that the University’s legal obligations prohibit such a de-naming” of the Kennedy School building bearing Wexner’s name, Weinstein wrote.
Weinstein’s message wasfirst reported by the Harvard Crimson.
His announcement came the same day that Representative Jamie Raskin, a Harvard graduate and the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee,wrote his alma mater seeking additional information aboutthe Ivy League school’s tiesto Epstein.
Wexner was a longtime close associate of Epsteinbut told Congress in Februarythey had a falling out in 2007. That rift ended a business partnership and friendship that began in the 1980s, with Wexner at one point turning over management of his vast fortune to Epstein.
Epstein died in 2019whileawaiting trial on federal child sex trafficking charges.He had pleaded guilty in 2008 to state prostitution charges involving a minor in Florida,avoiding a more serious federal indictment at the time under a controversial plea deal.
The money manager served about 13 months in jail with generous work release provisions, continuing after his release to hobnob with prominent politicians, Hollywood celebrities, titans of industry, and stars of academia.
Wexner has denied knowledge of Epstein’s sexual abuse of underage girls and has not been charged with any crimes in connection with the legal saga, telling a congressional committee earlier this year he had been “duped” by a “con-man” he had called a “most loyal friend” in a 2003 Vanity Fair interview.
In his message, Weinstein added that “it was communicated that Harvard’s policy leaves room for HKS to consider whether some form of contextualization of Wexner’s past association with Jeffrey Epstein would be appropriate.”
Starting in the fall, Weinstein continued, “I will initiate a process to explore potential ways to contextualize this part of our history. In addition, as an educational community, it is critical that we engage in meaningful conversations about the broader issues raised by the Epstein case, including sexual violence, human trafficking, and the circumstances that contributed to a lack of accountability for these crimes.”
To that end, the Kennedy School is taking multiple steps, including hosting an annual lecture from an advocate for women’s rights and offering a fellowship and research seminars on sexual violence, gender inequity, and power, he said.
“I know this news will be disappointing for those who wish to rename the building,” Weinstein wrote. “In recent months, I’ve spoken directly with students, faculty, and staff, who have shared how hard it has been to learn about Epstein’s relationships with Harvard affiliates and donors.”
In April, Kennedy School graduate student Lauren E. Barnes, a child sexual abuse survivor,published an opinion piece in The Boston Globecalling on the Kennedy School to rename the building.
(The Globe does not name sex abuse victims unless they choose to come forward publicly.)
