Bard College launched a formal review into President Leon Botstein’s previously disclosed ties to Jeffrey Epstein after Justice Department documents renewed attention to the financier’s relationships with higher-education figures. The probe follows a new tranche of federal records that linked Epstein to meetings and fundraising contacts across multiple institutions. The revelation has prompted other campuses to reexamine donor relationships and to cancel or pause events connected to names in the Epstein files. Reporting shows several universities have put faculty on leave or altered programming over those ties, and at least one upcoming conference was canceled amid the fallout. The disclosures have intensified scrutiny of practices that prioritize large gifts over due diligence. Trustees, development offices and compliance leaders across the sector face pressure to tighten vetting, disclosure and the ethical guardrails that govern major philanthropic relationships.