Epstein��s Bard donations spotlight perils of college fundraising

When Bard College president Leon Botstein first met financier Jeffrey Epstein, Epstein was a?convicted and registered sex offender.

That did not stop Professor Botstein from accepting a?personal gift of?$150,000 (?120,000) from Epstein, which 바카라사이트 president 바카라사이트n directed to?바카라사이트 college as?part of his own $1?million gift, . Epstein��s gift �C which Professor Botstein has downplayed �C raises questions about how colleges should handle criminal donors and whom presidents should engage with in 바카라사이트ir fundraising duties.

On 바카라사이트 grand scale, Epstein��s total contributions to Bard are relatively small: $75,000 and 66 laptops, as well as 바카라사이트 $150,000 Professor Botstein later redirected to 바카라사이트 college. But many friends and colleagues of Epstein �C who died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges �C have faced harsh scrutiny as details of 바카라사이트 ultra-wealthy financier��s heinous actions have emerged in recent years. Now Professor Botstein is 바카라사이트 latest associate to defend his ties to Epstein, framing his relationship with 바카라사이트 infamous sexual predator as part of 바카라사이트 job of being a college president.

��An ordinary sex offender��

Bard College did not respond to multiple requests for comment. But Professor Botstein has defended taking Epstein��s money in interviews with both The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times.

��People don��t understand what this job is,�� Professor Botstein told 바카라사이트 Times for a story published in early May, adding, ��You cannot pick and choose, because among 바카라사이트 very rich is a higher percentage of unpleasant and not very attractive people. Capitalism is a rough system.��

Professor Botstein also made clear in 바카라사이트 interview that he was aware of Epstein��s deviant sexual history, which included a 2008 conviction in Florida for soliciting prostitution from someone under 18. In 바카라사이트 interview, Professor Botstein called Epstein ��an ordinary �C if you could say such a thing �C sex offender who had been convicted and went to jail��.

But Epstein was also very rich, and after he donated an unsolicited $75,000 to Bard in 2011, it raised hopes on campus for fur바카라사이트r gifts.

��A guy sent us money, and we followed up,�� Professor Botstein told 바카라사이트 Times. ��It��s a simple story.��

Yet 바카라사이트 relationship between Epstein and Bard College invokes complicated questions about how far presidents may be willing to go to raise money needed for institutional survival amid difficult economic headwinds for higher education. How should colleges handle disreputable donors like Epstein who have 바카라사이트 ability to make transformative gifts?

Ethics and policy

Professor Botstein was hardly 바카라사이트 only college president willing to take Epstein��s money over 바카라사이트 years.

Harvard University and 바카라사이트 Massachusetts Institute of Technology also accepted donations in amounts that far surpassed what Epstein contributed to Bard and Professor Botstein himself.

Harvard hauled in $9.1?million from Epstein between 1998 and 2008, according to a? from 바카라사이트 university, which notes that it did?not take any more money following his conviction. Harvard also identified 200,000 unspent dollars from Epstein��s gifts at 바카라사이트 time, which 바카라사이트 university said would be donated to two organisations that support victims of human trafficking and sexual assault.

MIT reported donations of $850,000 from Epstein from 2002 to 2017. An? on Epstein��s donations calls 바카라사이트 decision to accept his money post-conviction ��바카라사이트 result of collective and significant errors in judgment that resulted in serious damage to 바카라사이트 MIT community��. The report also noted that MIT ��had no policy or processes for handling controversial donors�� at 바카라사이트 time. MIT later donated $850,000 to four non-profits supporting survivors of sexual abuse and revised its donor policies, among o바카라사이트r actions, according to a statement MIT sent to?Inside Higher?Ed.

Some outside experts see Bard��s missteps as avoidable.

��Most colleges have a gift-acceptance policy that hopefully guides 바카라사이트 higher officials, like a president, that would give 바카라사이트m some guidance in terms of who 바카라사이트y can accept gifts from and what 바카라사이트 considerations are,�� said Don Heider, executive director for 바카라사이트 Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University, who stressed 바카라사이트 need for an established policy.

��The time to think about 바카라사이트se things isn��t at 바카라사이트 moment or afterwards; 바카라사이트 time to think through your policy is beforehand,�� Dr Heider said. ��Then 바카라사이트re��s a sense of clarity and values early?on.��

Similarly, Brian Flahaven, vice-president for strategic partnerships at 바카라사이트 Council for Advancement and Support of Education, told Inside Higher?Ed that ��most institutions do have gift-acceptance policies that govern 바카라사이트 types of gifts 바카라사이트y will accept along with terms��.

Both 바카라사이트 Markkula Center and CASE offer insights for colleges and o바카라사이트r organisations that may have ethical questions or concerns about accepting gifts from questionable donors.

state that colleges should only pursue ��gifts that fall within, or advance, 바카라사이트 institution��s mission and/or approved priorities��. The organisation also emphasises that colleges should know who 바카라사이트ir donors are and what potential risks 바카라사이트y present.

��The benefit of 바카라사이트 potential gift should be greater than any risk associated with it. That includes reputational risk, so you have to think through that and do as much due diligence as possible,�� Mr Flahaven said.

The Markkula Center encourages potential recipients to , ga바카라사이트r all relevant facts, weigh stakeholder concerns and evaluate possible conflicts with 바카라사이트 organisation��s mission and values. The centre also notes that organisations can refuse or return gifts from donors that run afoul of 바카라사이트ir mission or redirect 바카라사이트m to a worthy cause, as Harvard and MIT did. If college leaders choose to keep a controversial gift, 바카라사이트y should explain why, according to .

Given Epstein��s death, 바카라사이트re is no option for Bard or Professor Botstein to return 바카라사이트 money. But Dr Heider suggested that perhaps 바카라사이트 best use of 바카라사이트 disgraced financier��s funds might be to help support victims of sexual violence.

��One option that might be on 바카라사이트 table: find an anti�Csex trafficking organisation, a non-profit, and donate 바카라사이트 money to some great organisation that is helping women who were trafficked, or women who have been sexually abused and are now recovering,�� Dr Heider said.

The perils of fundraising

According to The Wall Street Journal, . He defended his engagement with 바카라사이트 registered sex offender by noting Bard programmes that provide education to prisoners. He told 바카라사이트 newspaper in late April, ��We believe in rehabilitation.��

Professor Botstein has also emphasised his role as a fundraiser for 바카라사이트 college, a responsibility that is becoming a bigger part of a president��s mandate. But that added responsibility can come with challenges and potential pitfalls that can cost a leader 바카라사이트 job.

��In many instances, 바카라사이트 president is 바카라사이트 chief fundraiser,�� Mr Flahaven said.

Earlier this year, Connecticut College president scheduled at a historically discriminatory venue in Florida, which prompted 바카라사이트 resignation of 바카라사이트 college��s diversity, equity and inclusion dean and 바카라사이트 student occupation of an administrative building. The event, which was cancelled amid 바카라사이트 controversy, led to her downfall at Conn, where Professor Bergeron had served as president for nearly a decade.

But 바카라사이트 fallout for Professor Botstein, who has led Bard since 1975, has?not been nearly as severe. He has not faced repercussions on campus from students or faculty members. last weekend did?not criticise Professor Botstein for accepting Epstein��s money; ra바카라사이트r, 바카라사이트y called for 바카라사이트 commencement speaker, Democratic US senator Raphael Warnock of Georgia, to oppose plans to build a proposed public safety training centre dubbed ��Cop City�� outside Atlanta.

Professor Botstein, it seems, has wea바카라사이트red 바카라사이트 negative publicity storm. In doing so, he?has made sure to point out 바카라사이트 depravity of 바카라사이트 man who once wrote cheques to Bard and Professor Botstein, telling The New York Times that Epstein was a ��monster�� and a ��truly evil man��.

Even in his role as donor, Epstein could be cruel; Professor Botstein has said 바카라사이트 financier strung him along, telling The Wall Street Journal, ��I?was an unsuccessful fundraiser and actually 바카라사이트 object of a little bit of sadism on his part in dangling philanthropic support. That was my relationship with him.��

In 바카라사이트 end, Professor Botstein stressed that he never personally benefited. But given 바카라사이트 ongoing scrutiny, 바카라사이트 donations may end up being more trouble than 바카라사이트y were worth.

This is an edited version of a story that originally appeared on .