Dartmouth Students Renew Push to Strip Leon Black's Name from Arts Center Over Epstein Ties

Dartmouth College students have intensified demands to remove billionaire collector Leon Black's name from the Black Family Visual Arts Center, citing his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Undergraduate Oscar Rempe-Hiam, class of 2029, raised the issue at a Dartmouth Student Government meeting on April 5, criticizing the administration's lack of urgency. Black, a 1973 Dartmouth alumnus, donated $48 million to establish the center, which opened in 2012. The controversy follows Dartmouth's recent removal of César Chávez's name from a fellowship after sexual assault allegations, highlighting the complexities of renaming donor-funded buildings. Black's lawyer Susan Estrich of Estrich Goldin referenced a 2020 Dechert investigation that found Black paid Epstein $170 million for financial advice and claimed no knowledge of Epstein's crimes. Epstein files reveal he directed the Black Family Foundation from 2001 to 2012, influencing charitable gifts to Dartmouth. Documents also link Black's payments to Epstein with his former mistress Guzel Ganieva and an IRS audit involving art dealer Anastasiya Siro. The student government plans to revisit the renaming proposal at its next meeting.