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Jeffrey Epstein, a financier who served jail time for procuring an underage girl for prostitution, currently finds himself the focus of lawsuits saying that he arranged for various prominent people to have sex with underage girls. An article by Reuters notes that Epstein has also donated to many colleges and backed the work of various professors. Some researchers and charity officials said that they would not accept any more money from Epstein. But others defended him. "His interest is in interesting people and interesting ideas," Lawrence Krauss, an Arizona State University physicist, told Reuters. Krauss directs a program on the origins of life -- a program that Epstein has supported. Krauss said he would feel cowardly if he turned away from Epstein, given that he doesn't know anything about the accusations.
Another professor who has received funds from Epstein and defended him was Robert Trivers, a Rutgers University biologist who received about $40,000 from Epstein to study the link between knee symmetry and sprinting ability. Trivers questioned how bad the charges are, noting that girls mature earlier than used to be the case. "By the time they're 14 or 15, they're like grown women were 60 years ago, so I don't see these acts as so heinous," he told Reuters.
Inside Higher Ed e-mailed Trivers and Rutgers for elaboration or comment, and did not hear back.
