Larry Summers, who served as a president of Harvard University and held roles during the Clinton and Obama administrations, has announced his resignation from his academic and faculty appointments at Harvard. This decision comes as a response to growing scrutiny over previously undisclosed communications he had with Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender, following the release of documents by the government that detail these interactions.

The announcement of Summers' resignation was confirmed by a Harvard spokesperson who indicated that the resignation from his leadership post at the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government had been accepted by the Dean of the Harvard Kennedy School, Jeremy Weinstein. Summers stated through a spokesperson that he intends to retire from his academic roles entirely by the end of the current academic year but will remain on leave until then.

This resignation highlights ongoing tensions within higher education related to figures linked to Epstein. It also raises broader questions about accountability and transparency in academic institutions and the implications of affiliations with individuals who have faced serious criminal allegations, thereby setting a precedent for policies surrounding leadership and ethical conduct at elite universities.