And the fallout in academia over the Epstein files continues. As The New York Times reported earlier this week, some of the recently released files show how Epstein pulled strings behind the scenes in 2012 to get his then-girlfriend admitted to Columbia University’s dental school after she’d been rejected. (The revelation raises fresh questions for me about the creepy dentist’s chair Epstein had on his private island.)

Columbia University fessed up to the special treatment in a statement on Wednesday:

In short, a student was admitted to the dental school through an irregular process, coinciding with fundraising solicitations by former academic and alumni leadership of the school. The fundraising discussions were undertaken by the then leadership of the dental school or individuals acting at their behest and not at the direction of the leadership of the medical center or the University. To be clear: the matters discussed in these communications do not meet Columbia’s standards for integrity and independence in admissions.

Columbia isn’t the only university coming to terms with its ties to Epstein. The outlet Inside Higher Ed, for example, listed nine professors and faculty members whose ties to Epstein prompted recent statements from several universities, including Harvard and Yale.

At Ohio State University, a professor was put on leave for wrestling a documentary filmmaker to the ground after the filmmaker sought to ask the university’s former president about OSU’s Epstein connections. The former president, a man named E. Gordon Gee, recently decried efforts to remove billionaire Les Wexner’s name from university buildings because of his close relationship with Epstein — efforts Gee called “cancel culture.”

  • pelespirit@sh.itjust.works
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    2 months ago

    This seems to be a common tactic of the media lately, hiding facts in “Opinion” articles.

    The 9 other faculty are:

    • Yale - Nicholas Christakis
    • Yale - David Gelernter
    • MIT - Marvin Minsky
    • Harvard - Lisa Randall
    • Harvard - Bernie Steinberg
    • Harvard - Carl Sloane
    • Harvard - Eric Sinoway
    • Duke - Dan Ariely
    • Wharton - Marc Rowan
    • Rutgers - Robert Trivers

    https://www.insidehighered.com/news/faculty-issues/2026/02/03/9-more-higher-ed-names-epstein-files

  • panda_abyss@lemmy.ca
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    2 months ago

    I think it’s time to admit that “elite” institutions aren’t really better than any others, they just power a nepotism machine and claim the gains as then being better.

    Some schools have better networks of teachers and researchers, but this is a con.

    The rest of us have to follow the rules while the rich get into the best (reputation) schools, are protected from pressure, and get to pass.

    Just look at that Wharton prof who said Trump was the worst student he ever had. Trump got his degree, why didn’t he get flunked if he was so dumb.

    • HubertManne@piefed.social
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      2 months ago

      I swear I have stuff that indicate graduates of ivy league tend to be crappier. I went to a state school and im overall pretty proud of it except they did not have an elementary logic requirment which is part of what I think is killing us today. I think it should be a high school requirment as it does not need really any special knowledge. I would say anyone past algebra is ready for it.

      • skulblaka@sh.itjust.works
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        2 months ago

        Notice how everyone with a lot of money in our modern world appears to be dumber than shit.

        Where do people with a lot of money go to school? Ivy League, every time. How do you get accepted to, and then graduate from, an Ivy League school while being dumber than shit? By making a nice big donation to the school.

        I’m willing to bet these things are very correlated.

        • HubertManne@piefed.social
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          2 months ago

          I blame that on low taxes. Every dollar someone makes should have more and more taxes so that they actually have to be smarter to get ahead at the top and if you inherit a boatload and are not smart then you will naturally over time reduce to where you should be. It is a crime that the phrase “the first million is the hardest” is true.