Bard College president Leon Botstein announced he will retire at the end of June after an independent review found he “minimized” his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Trustees commissioned WilmerHale to review communications, and the college said the report did not find illegality but raised leadership concerns. The coverage notes Bard’s president has said he waited to announce retirement until the review was completed. Botstein said he would remain on faculty as a teacher and musician. Documents released by the U.S. Justice Department this year reportedly show meetings between Botstein and Epstein, including events tied to Bard and fundraising. The review summary concluded Botstein’s public statements were not fully accurate. For higher education governance, the development underscores how institutional risk management is extending beyond legal exposure into reputational and leadership accountability decisions by boards of trustees.