The new Ohio State University president said the university is ready to “address the complexities of the role that retail billionaire Les Wexner and his wife, Abigail, play at the university.”
OSU President Ravi Bellamkonda said at a news conference after a March 12 hiring board meeting that he wanted to “address the role that school donors and well-wishers play in university functions.”
Bellamconda cited ongoing protests calling for the university to remove Wexner’s name from campus buildings. Wexner, a prolific donor, has faced new criticism for his ties to former money manager Jeffrey Epstein. Jeffrey Epstein, a sex offender, died in his cell while awaiting trial on child sex trafficking charges. Wexner was ousted from Congress last month over his ties to Epstein.
The university has received hundreds of requests to remove names from buildings. Bellamconda said each request would be given “full consideration.”
“Part of what makes a great public university is the ability to deal with complexity,” Bellamconda said.
“Of course, Les and Abigail have been great supporters of and served the university for many years,” Bellamconda said. “So that’s an important part of how the university operates. When I reflect on all of these complex situations, I agree that we deal with complexity and difficulty and situations because it keeps us all honest and allows us to find the right solutions.”
More: Ohio State University elects new president. Who is Ravi Bellamkonda?
Bellamconda added that “one event, one person or one news story does not define Ohio State,” and that he knows Ohio State as much more than that, from students researching new medicines, to athletes striving for excellence, to the university’s health care mission.
“That’s the Ohio State I experienced, that’s the Ohio State I want to focus on, but in an open environment, caring about people and doing things responsibly,” Bellamconda.
The campaign to remove Wexner’s name has intensified in recent months
More details about Wexner’s decades-long relationship with Epstein are emerging as the Justice Department releases millions of documents from its investigation into Epstein’s abuse of women. Since early February, the university has received more than 400 requests to remove Wexner’s name from campus buildings.
On March 5, current Ohio State University President Ted Carter acknowledged that protests were continuing during a board of trustees meeting calling on the university to remove Wexner’s name from campus buildings.
Wexner, the retail billionaire and former university trustee, has donated millions of dollars to Ohio State University since graduating in 1959, including one of the university’s largest single gifts of $100 million. His name can be found at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, the Les Wexner Football Stadium at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center and the Wexner Center for the Arts.
Wexner, who also chairs the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Committee, had longstanding ties to Epstein, who at one point had Wexner’s power of attorney. Authorities said Epstein committed suicide in prison in 2019 while facing federal charges for allegedly trafficking children in Florida and New York.
Protesters also called on board Chairman John Zeiger and Vice Chairman Elizabeth Kessler to resign or be removed due to conflicts of interest.
Cole Behrens covers K-12 education and school districts in central Ohio. Any tips? Please contact Cole at cbehrens@dispatch.com or @Colebehr_report.
This article originally appeared in The Columbus Dispatch: New Ohio State University president responds to calls to cut Wexner’s name from campus