Whatever you thought of Leon Black ’73, the new wave of Epstein files confirms he’s worse. In an earlier piece titled “Beilock, Rename BVAC,” I dove into Black and Jeffrey Epstein’s tangled financial and personal relationship. Administrators have yet to express any intention of renaming the Black Family Visual Arts Center — multiple cases of alleged sexual assault and financial connections to Epstein seemingly aren’t enough to warrant administrative action.
As much as I abhor Dartmouth’s passivity on this matter, I recognize the need for concrete proof, especially given the fact that none of Black’s cases have resulted in a conviction. The latest release of new Epstein files, however, provides new impetus for renaming BVAC. Allegations might not be enough for administrative action, but the files tie BVAC to a confirmed pedophile: Epstein. His role as a consultant throughout the creation of BVAC, as well as his janitoring of Black’s extramarital and allegedly abusive relationships, make renaming BVAC a non-negotiable.
To recap some information from my previous piece: Jeffrey Epstein served as the director of the Black Family Foundation until 2012. There are two main reasons this is significant. First, BVAC was publicly announced in 2012 and the money was initially donated in 2009 — Epstein was serving as the director of the foundation throughout the start of the donation process. Second, Epstein pleaded guilty to child prostitution in 2008, well before the College committed to the creation of BVAC. While the College has yet to comment on whether it had direct contact with Epstein, new files reveal that Epstein repeatedly advised Black and his assistants throughout the donation process — it’s clear that Epstein and Dartmouth communicated indirectly, at least.
In an email from 2012, Epstein tasked Black’s executive assistant with a to-do list that included “dartmouth, -forward, gift.” Two years later, Epstein further instructed Spinella that “the stock should be put in the foundation. then dartmouth.” CIO of Black Family Partners Eileen Alexanderson also has an extensive email history with Jeffrey Epstein. In a 2013 email to Epstein, Alexanderson explains that, regarding charitable giving, “the higher # on the Dartmouth project was right.” Epstein emailed Alexanderson roughly a year later, stating “lets confirm gifts to museums, pledges dartmouth etc.”
This new paper trail is sufficient evidence: Epstein, in his role as director of the Black Family Foundation, advised Black and his assistants throughout the creation of BVAC. Epstein’s orchestration of charitable gifts to Dartmouth should be reason enough to rename BVAC, but in case it is not, here are some other new file releases that shed light on Epstein and Black’s personal relationship: specifically, their history of silencing alleged victims.
Despite Black’s efforts to distance himself from Epstein, new files have confirmed their close friendship. In her deposition with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche on July 24, 2025, Ghislaine Maxwell stated that “Leon and Epstein became really good friends” and that “Leon Black is very good friends with other friends of mine.” Furthermore, in an email to Brad Karp, one of Black’s lawyers, Epstein confirms his friendship with Black, stating “he has been kept =afe to date ONLY as a result of my maniacal devotion to friends.”
That last email to Karp and others like it do more than merely confirm a friendship with Black — they reveal a conspiracy to silence and surveil former Russian model Guzel Ganieva after she alleged Black sexually assaulted her. Epstein orchestrated meet-ups between Black and Ganieva and recommended having her surveilled, according to an article in Bloomberg. A few weeks before Black and Ganieva were fixed to meet for dinner, Jeffrey Epstein emailed himself a script, a warning, seemingly intended for Black to recite to Ganieva. The warning threatens to have her deported to Russia, where she’d be considered an “enemy of the people, and would e dealt with extremely harshly.” The email concludes with an offer of $50,000 payments each month over the next two years. Black later secretly recorded the dinner with Ganieva, during which he warned her that any accusations would land her in jail. Epstein also recommended to Karp that Ganieva be surveilled by a private investigator, according to the files.
I conclude this piece with two major takeaways. First, I hate reading the Epstein files, and frankly, student journalists shouldn’t have to. The Beilock administration, given that Black is already on their radar, should be scouring the Epstein files themselves for even the slightest hint of a professor or alumnus. Second, renaming BVAC needs to be College President Sian Leah Beilock’s top priority. The building is a monument honoring an alleged pedophile. I encourage readers to explore Black’s list of allegations — the College’s silence at this point is simply gross. Epstein’s fingerprints are all over BVAC, and until we rename it, this institution cannot claim to stand for justice.
Opinion articles represent the views of their author(s), which are not necessarily those of The Dartmouth.
