Lawrence Summers to step down from Harvard after Epstein-linked disclosures

By Mark Arsenault 

Lawrence H Summers, a Harvard University economist and the school’s former president, will resign from teaching at the end of the academic year, according to a Harvard spokesman.

 

The announcement comes after documents released by the Department of Justice showed a close relationship between Mr. Summers and Jeffrey Epstein long after Mr. Epstein was convicted of prostitution involving a minor.

 

Summers, who has been on leave since November, will not return to teaching before he leaves the university. He has also resigned as co-director of the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government, the spokesman said. His resignation comes “in connection with the ongoing review by the University of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein that were recently released by the government,” the spokesman, Jason Newton, said in a statement.

 

 

The announcement was first reported by The Harvard Crimson, the student newspaper.

 

Summers said in a statement that he had made “the difficult decision” to retire, and he “will always be grateful to the thousands of students and colleagues I have been privileged to teach and work with since coming to Harvard as a graduate student 50 years ago.”

 

As president emeritus and a retired professor, he said, he looks forward to “engaging in research, analysis and commentary on a range of global economic issues.”