Universities pressured to strip names of Epstein associates from campus buildings

he Les Wexner Football Complex at the Wood Hayes Athletic Center is seen Monday, March 30, 2026, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Patrick Aftoora-Orsagos) 2026-04-02T11:08:25Z COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — In rain, snow and bitter cold, a steady drumbeat of small protests have been held in recent months on the Ohio State University main campus with a single goal in mind: removing billionaire retail mogul Les Wexner’s name from buildings where it’s emblazoned.

At issue — for union nurses at OSU’s Wexner Medical Center, for former athletes at the Les Wexner Football Complex, and for some student leaders who may walk past the Wexner Center for the Arts near the campus oval — is Wexner’s well-documented association with the late sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein .

Similar cries are arising over a Wexner-named building at Harvard University and others around the country named for different Epstein associates, including Steve Tisch , Casey Wasserman , Glenn Dubin and Howard Lutnick .

It’s all part of the backlash across higher education against figures with ties to Epstein, who cultivated an extensive network including powerful people in the arts, business and academia.

Scrutiny has landed on university donors as well as several academics whose emails with Epstein surfaced in the latest files, including some who have resigned .

Wexner complaints cite Epstein association Wexner hasn’t been charged with any crime in connection with Epstein, the one-time financial adviser by whom he says he was “duped.” But a group of former Ohio State athletes who survived a sweeping sexual abuse scandal at the school argues that the retired L Brands founder ‘s generosity to his alma mater is now tainted by the knowledge that Epstein was entangled in many of his family’s spending decisions, including around the football complex’s naming. “Ohio State University cannot credibly separate itself from these facts, nor can it justify continuing to honor Les Wexner with an athletic facility,” their naming removal request read.

It went on, “To do so is to ignore the voices of survivors, former athletes, and the broader community who expect accountability, transparency, and moral leadership.” At Harvard, a group of students and faculty at the prestigious Kennedy School has targeted the Leslie H.

Wexner Building and the Wexner-Sunshine Lobby.

The renaming request submitted in March cites Wexner’s “strong ties to Epstein” and argues Epstein profited off Wexner, “which enabled Epstein to use his we

原文链接: AP News