Larry Summers will resign from his teaching position at Harvard University at the end of the current academic year, the institution announced amid ongoing fallout from Jeffrey Epstein court documents. The former Harvard president had already stepped back from teaching duties as the university conducted a review of his ties to the disgraced financier.
Previous reporting revealed that unsealed court documents showed a closer relationship between Summers and Epstein than the economist had previously acknowledged publicly. Last fall, Summers issued a statement saying he was "deeply ashamed" of his actions and recognized "the pain they have caused" after his email correspondence with Epstein came to light.
The resignation represents the most significant departure yet in what has become a broader reckoning for academic institutions connected to Epstein. Documents released as part of ongoing legal proceedings have exposed previously unknown details about Epstein's extensive network of relationships with prominent academics, university administrators, and researchers across multiple institutions.
Harvard has faced particular scrutiny over its historical connections to Epstein, who donated substantial sums to the university and maintained relationships with several faculty members. The university had already banned Epstein from campus in 2008 following his initial conviction, but questions persisted about ongoing connections through individual faculty relationships.
Summers, who served as Harvard's president from 2001 to 2006, later worked as Treasury Secretary under President Clinton and as director of the National Economic Council under President Obama. His academic career spanned decades at Harvard, where he taught economics and held various administrative roles before and after his presidential tenure.
The latest document revelations have prompted renewed calls for transparency at universities that received Epstein funding or maintained institutional relationships with him. Several institutions have launched internal reviews to examine their historical connections and assess whether any ongoing relationships existed beyond Epstein's 2008 conviction.
Educational advocacy groups have pressed for more comprehensive disclosure of donor relationships and institutional policies governing acceptance of gifts from controversial figures. The Epstein case has highlighted gaps in how universities vet major donors and maintain oversight of faculty relationships with external benefactors.
Harvard's handling of the Summers situation reflects broader institutional challenges as universities navigate the ongoing revelations. The university has emphasized its commitment to reviewing all connections to Epstein while maintaining academic freedom and due process for faculty members.
The resignation caps a tumultuous period for Summers, whose career had already weathered previous controversies during his Harvard presidency. His departure removes a prominent figure whose continued presence had become increasingly untenable as more details about Epstein's academic connections emerged.
As more Epstein-related documents await potential release, other academic institutions may face similar reckonings with their own historical connections to the financier and his network.