The past two weeks have not been kind to Harvard University. They had a professor rail against homeschooling during the China Virus crisis when parents across America were homeschooling because all schools were canceled. They applied for and received $8.7 million in federal grant/loans meant for small businesses. They returned the money after it was revealed they took the funds even though the school has a $40 endowment to play with. And now we learn the school maintained a relationship with child-rapist Jeffrey Epstein ever after his 2008 sex crime conviction.
The President of the School ordered that no donation’s taken from Epstein in 2008, however that didn’t stop the relationship. Epstein fomented a connection with Harvard’s Program for Evolutionary Dynamics (“PED”), per the study released by the University Evolutionary? Based on his behavior, it is evident that the late rapist didn’t evolve past the “ape” stage.
Friend Of The Program for Evolutionary Dynamics
In 2013, Epstein’s publicist sought to burnish Epstein’s reputation by asking PED to post on PED’s Harvard website links to Epstein’s foundations’ websites, which included both flattering descriptions of Epstein as a science philanthropist and false claims about the level of support he provided to Harvard. In 2014, Epstein’s publicist asked Professor Nowak to feature Epstein in a full page on PED’s Harvard website. Professor Nowak approved each of these requests. We found no evidence that University or FAS leadership knew about these postings.. PED removed the Epstein page from its website after PED and Harvard received complaints in 2014 from a sexual assault survivor’s group.
Epstein had unlimited access” to the university’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences until 2018. The lawsuit filed against Epstein by some of his victims became public knowledge in January 2015, but he didn’t have to turn in his pass card. “PED maintained an office for Epstein’s use and granted him keycard and passcode access to PED’s offices—findings which raise questions about possible violations of Harvard policies.”
Ya think?
Epstein typically used the visits to meet with professors from Harvard and other institutions to hear about their work. He generally gave Professor Nowak the names of the academics he wished to meet, and either he or Professor Nowak invited them to meet with Epstein at PED’s offices. These meeting most often took place on weekends, although some occurred during the week. We found no evidence that Epstein engaged with Harvard students when he came to these meetings, although he did attend one of Professor Nowak’s undergraduate math classes. Professor Nowak did nothing to hide the fact of these meetings.
There is no evidence, but I am sure there were students on the campus over the weekends. Unless he arrived by helicopter, Epstein had do walk across the campus somewhat to get to the meetings.
Epstein Brought “Help”
To be truthful, he didn’t need to pick up students. According to the report, Epstein was routinely accompanied on these visits by young women, described as being in their 20s, who acted as his assistants. Assistants? Sure, that’s the ticket.
Epstein also occasionally used PED’s offices for dinners. Epstein generally chose the guest list, and sometimes asked questions, but did not generally lead the discussions or choose the topics. Taken as a whole, the documents suggest that Epstein viewed the PED offices as available for his use whenever he wished to gather academics together to hear scholars talk about subjects Epstein found interesting.
Remember all these Campus trips occurred after his 2008 sex crimes conviction:
Epstein Had His Own Harvard Office and Phone Lines
Within PED’s offices, PED informally described Office 610 as “Jeffrey’s Office.” As noted, Epstein and his assistants had a key to that office. Epstein brought his own rug and hung several photographs on the wall. PED made Office 610 available to other visitors from time to time, and Professor Nowak informed us that, in his view, the office was only nominally Epstein’s and that it was a simply a visitor’s office that was called “Jeffrey’s Office.” But others who worked at PED, where office space was often scarce, generally did not view it as interchangeable with other offices, and believed it was reserved for Epstein’s use when he came. (Epstein did in fact use the office when he visited.) Until 2017, PED maintained a Harvard telephone line in that office identified as Epstein’s.
Head of PED Program in Big Trouble
The Harvard president sent a letter to the school community.
The actions taken by the head of PED, Professor Martin Nowak, as described in the report warrant review to determine whether FAS policies and standards of professional conduct were violated and if additional steps must be taken. To that end, Professor Nowak has been placed on paid administrative leave. We do not take this step lightly, but the seriousness of the matter leads us to believe it is not appropriate for Professor Nowak to continue in his role, other than what he will be asked to do to complete the semester, while the FAS determines its response to the findings of the report. I have been in touch with Professor Nowak concerning these matters and assured him that he will be afforded appropriate participation in the FAS process.
Harvard has had three lousy publicity incidents in the past two weeks—all of them are self-inflicted. My Mother, of Blessed Memory, always told me that bad things happen in threes. She never taught me whether three was a limit or whether the rule applied to arrogant universities with a liberal skew.
