Harvard University professor Larry Summers has stepped back from his teaching and administrative duties while the institution investigates his and others’ connections to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a university spokesperson confirmed. Summers, former U.S. Treasury Secretary and Harvard president, will also pause his role as director of the Mossavar-Rahmani Centre for Business and Government at the Harvard Kennedy School, with co-teachers taking over his remaining classes this semester. He is not scheduled to teach next semester.
The decision follows the public release of over 20,000 pages of documents from Epstein’s estate, which included emails showing correspondence between Summers and Epstein up to the day before Epstein’s 2019 arrest for alleged sex trafficking of minors. Summers previously expressed regret over his communications, describing them as a “misguided decision” and emphasizing his desire to rebuild trust and repair personal relationships.
The emails suggest Summers sought advice from Epstein on personal matters and met with him on several occasions. However, there is no public evidence linking Summers to any criminal activity, and no Epstein survivors have accused him of misconduct.
Separately, Summers resigned from the board of OpenAI, which develops ChatGPT, citing gratitude for the opportunity and ongoing interest in the company’s progress. He also confirmed that he is no longer affiliated with the Centre for American Progress.
Harvard has stated it is reviewing the newly released documents to understand any involvement of faculty and staff. Summers has maintained his teaching obligations during this period, addressing students and acknowledging the public scrutiny surrounding his communications with Epstein.
This development comes in the wake of a bill signed by President Donald Trump requiring the U.S. Justice Department to release all records related to Epstein, potentially adding tens of thousands of additional documents for public review.
