A report detailing dozens of cases of violence at an art school has been released in the U.S.
In the U.S., the results of an independent investigation into the Interlochen Center for the Arts, an arts boarding school, have been released. Nearly 70 former students have reported sexual abuse that, according to them, lasted for decades. The report also mentions financier Jeffrey Epstein, whom several female alumni accused of sexual abuse after meeting him on the school grounds.
The results of a large-scale independent investigation into the Interlochen Center for the Arts, a boarding school for the arts in Michigan, have been released in the U.S. The report was prepared by a law firm after nearly two years of work. It compiles testimonies from dozens of former students who reported sexual abuse by teachers, staff, and other individuals associated with the school.
According to the investigation, about 70 alumni described the abuse they experienced and named 47 adults whom they believe were involved in these crimes. The incidents described in the report span the period from the 1950s to the 2010s. Most of the cases occurred several decades ago.
The authors of the report note that certain individuals are mentioned in the testimonies of various victims. The abuses themselves varied—ranging from grooming and sexual harassment to sexual assault. “Many alumni described the impact this behavior had on them. Some noted that the consequences were severe and persisted long after they graduated or left Interlochen,” the report states.
A separate section of the document is devoted to financier Jeffrey Epstein. The report notes that he attended Interlochen as a teenager and later became one of the school’s benefactors. It was during his visits to the school in the 1990s that several female students met him. They later claimed to have been victims of sexual abuse.
One former student recounted that during a meeting on school grounds, Epstein touched her, pretending it was accidental. According to the woman, he later paid for her trips to New York on several occasions, where he also committed sexual acts against her. Another alumna stated that after she graduated, Epstein paid for her flight to New York. There, they met at his home, where, according to her, sexual assault also took place.
The woman said that her mother had contacted the school administration and warned them of the danger. “He’s preying on our students,” she reportedly told the school’s leadership. According to the alumna, there was no response at the time.
After the investigation results were made public, Interlochen’s leadership issued an official statement and apologized to all those affected. “On behalf of Interlochen, we sincerely regret the harm caused to members of our community, and we apologize to everyone who has suffered from abuse at Interlochen,” said school President Trey Davy and Board of Trustees Chair Barrett Rollins.
The school reported that it had provided law enforcement with the names of all individuals mentioned in the report for further investigation. The administration also emphasized that none of the 47 individuals named in the report are currently employed by or affiliated with the school.
Following the conclusion of the investigation, Interlochen announced that it had strengthened its security measures. The school implemented stricter employee background checks, revised its procedures for reporting potential violations, and organized round-the-clock surveillance of the campus. “Today, Interlochen is radically different from the institution described in this report,” the school administration emphasized. This was reported by the NYT.
In France, 69-year-old former modeling agent Daniel Siad, who was linked to the case of American financier Jeffrey Epstein, was found dead.
As a reminder, Bill Gates testified before the U.S. Congress regarding references to him in Epstein’s files — Bloomberg
A former U.S. attorney general, who was fired by Trump, was questioned in the Epstein case — BBC
