A new trove of Justice Department documents has reignited scrutiny of Epstein’s sprawling web of influence, exposing connections that stretch from Ivy League campuses to major state schools. Professors, high-profile donors, and even a sitting college president are now facing intense questions over past ties to the convicted sex trafficker.
At Ohio State University, controversy is mounting on multiple fronts. The university’s medical center bears the name of billionaire Les Wexner, who granted Epstein power of attorney until 2007, when it was revealed Epstein had stolen millions from him. Now, additional documents have drawn attention to another OSU link: Dr. Mark Landon, an OB-GYN and professor in the College of Medicine, received thousands of dollars from Epstein in the early 2000s.
Landon said he served as a paid consultant for the New York Strategy Group regarding potential biotech investments from 2001 to 2005 and had no knowledge of Epstein’s crimes at the time. “I find them reprehensible and I feel terrible for Epstein’s victims,” he said in a statement provided by the university.
Bard College in New York is also under a powerful spotlight. Newly released emails reportedly show that Bard President Leon Botstein maintained fundraising contact with Epstein as late as 2017. The New York Times reported that Botstein even purchased an expensive watch with Epstein and had planned a trip to Epstein’s private island in 2012.
The college defended Botstein, stating that his communications with Epstein were strictly related to fundraising for Bard’s arts programs and that the school has been transparent about those contacts. The institution added that nothing in those interactions revealed “how monstrous, cruel, and dangerous he turned out to be.”
Columbia University is also facing renewed scrutiny after reports that Epstein’s girlfriend was admitted into its dental school after initially being rejected — around the same period Epstein made donations tied to the school.
Meanwhile, Harvard, Yale, Duke, MIT, and other major institutions are conducting internal reviews of faculty and donor relationships connected to Epstein.
Colleges and universities across the country are dealing with growing fallout from the Epstein files, with professors, donors and at least one sitting school president revealed to have ties to the late sex trafficker. https://t.co/jNKCjiRtJn
— KTLA (@KTLA) February 13, 2026
At Yale, professor Nicholas Christakis acknowledged arranging a meeting with Epstein between 2013 and 2016 in an effort to secure funding for his lab. He later said he was “appalled” by revelations about Epstein following their limited interactions. Computer science professor David Gelernter, who once described Epstein as “brilliant & funny in conversation,” is now under administrative review and out of the classroom while Yale investigates.
At UCLA, the profile of associate adjunct neurology professor Mark Tramo was removed from the university’s website after more than 6,000 people signed a petition calling for his removal.
Crisis communications experts say universities now face a pivotal choice: proactively disclose and explain past relationships or wait for damaging revelations to surface.
“It’s such a big topic,” said Philip Hauserman of Castle, a crisis communications firm. “I would probably tend to be more on the proactive here.”
Nathan Miller, CEO of Miller Ink, noted that even minimal contact — such as a professor emailing Epstein for funding — can create major reputational risk in the current climate, particularly as newly released documents allow the public to examine interactions firsthand.
The deeper concern, experts warn, is structural. As colleges face federal funding cuts, enrollment declines, and mounting economic pressure, the temptation to court high-dollar donors can overshadow long-term reputational risks.
“This is a classic example of short-term thinking that leads to communications crises,” said Marykate Mattiello of Group Gordon. She cautioned that leaders may find it harder than ever to turn away wealthy benefactors — even when red flags emerge.
For now, universities across the country are bracing for more disclosures. And as Epstein’s shadow continues to stretch across academia, institutions once seen as untouchable are being forced into damage-control mode — with their credibility, leadership, and donor networks all under intense scrutiny.
