Interlochen Center for the Arts says it will tear down lodge formerly named for Jeffrey Epstein

Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan will tear down Green Lake Lodge, formerly known as Jeffrey E. Epstein Scholarship Lodge. Epstein attended Interlochen in 1967 and donated more than $400,000 to the school between 1990 and 2003, including $200,000 for the lodge's construction. After Epstein's first conviction in 2008 the school cut ties and scrubbed references, saying the lodge's associations do not reflect the institution's values. The board approved the demolition plan and said it would be carried out safely and in a timely manner. Epstein's ties to Interlochen have drawn scrutiny; accusers said they met him at the school in the 1990s. The school has invited them to speak with an independent investigator as part of an external review into historical misconduct. Internal reviews in 2019 found no misconduct linked to Epstein, though he visited Interlochen with Ghislaine Maxwell and stayed in the lodge. Epstein directed tuition payments for at least one student and flew violinist Itzhak Perlman to the school on his private jet. Notable alumni include Grammy winners and an Oscar winner.