Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 3
Interlochen to Demolish Epstein-Funded Lodge After $400,000 Gift Tied Him to 2 Girls
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 3

Interlochen to Demolish Epstein-Funded Lodge After $400,000 Gift Tied Him to 2 Girls

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 3

Summary

  • Interlochen plans to tear down the former Jeffrey E. Epstein Scholarship Lodge within days, removing one of the last visible remnants of his presence at the northern Michigan arts school.
  • More than $400,000 from Epstein helped build the lodge, and Justice Department records and school documents show he stayed there during visits in the 1990s and 2000.
  • Those visits are where Epstein is said to have met two early victims of his grooming and abuse after paying their tuition, linking his philanthropy directly to access on campus.
  • After his 2008 Florida conviction involving a minor, Interlochen cut ties, renamed the building and removed a plaque; the demolition is its latest step to sever that association.

Insights

Will the state investigation hold past administrators accountable for granting Jeffrey Epstein special campus access?
Beyond demolishing a lodge, how will Interlochen prevent wealthy donors from buying unsupervised access to students again?
Does removing a donor's name from a building represent real change, or is it just institutional reputation management?