Larry Summers to retire from Harvard amid Epstein revelations
larry summers said Wednesday that he will retire from his academic and faculty appointments at the end of this academic year, stepping away from roles he has held for more than four decades as revelations about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein continued to surface.
Summers, a former Harvard president and U. S. Treasury secretary, described the move as a "difficult decision" and said he is "grateful to the thousands of students and colleagues" he has worked with since arriving at Harvard as a graduate student 50 years ago. He added that, as president emeritus and a retired professor, he looks forward "in time to engaging in research, analysis, and commentary on a range of global economic issues. "
Larry Summers resigns Kennedy School post and will be on leave
Summers also resigned from his Kennedy School post as co-director of the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government and will be on leave until the end of the school year. He will continue to hold the title of president emeritus and said he expects to continue pursuing his academic interests after his retirement.
Timing of the announcement and new disclosures
The announcement came as The Boston Globe prepared to publish a story Wednesday that Summers and Epstein had additional financial ties that weren’t previously disclosed. The disclosures were part of a broader trove of documents released by the Justice Department that showed a close relationship between Summers and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Harvard places Martin Nowak on leave amid separate probe
On the same day Harvard placed mathematical biology professor Martin Nowak on leave pending a further investigation into his Epstein ties. Harvard had previously sanctioned Nowak for his relationship with Epstein but lifted the sanction in 2023.
Fall from prominence and earlier controversies
Summers’ departure marks a dramatic fall for a scholar once celebrated as a brilliant young economist. He became one of the youngest faculty members to be granted tenure in Harvard history more than four decades ago and later served as Harvard president from 2001 to 2006. His 2006 resignation followed public remarks that suggested innate differences between the sexes might explain why women trail male peers in math and science.
Reactions from advocates and lingering questions
Women’s rights advocates welcomed the development. "I hope this does lead to some real change and serious treatment of sexual harassment and assault like what we saw soon after the MeToo hashtag went viral, " said Shiwali Patel, senior director of education justice at the National Women’s Law Center.
Others questioned the form of Summers’ exit. Stacy Malone, executive director of the Victim Rights Law Center, criticized Harvard’s handling, saying the university was allowing him to "resign" and "retire" in language that did not feel like punishment.
What ties to Epstein are described and what remains unclear
Although Summers hasn’t been publicly accused of any wrongdoing related to Epstein, the documents show he both gave advice to the late billionaire and solicited it, asking Epstein for tips on a possible relationship with unclear in the provided context.
Summers said he will retire at the end of this academic year; he will be on leave from his Kennedy School duties until the end of the school year. Harvard’s review of the documents and the separate investigation into Martin Nowak remain ongoing, and the university has not announced a further schedule for action.
