INTERLOCHEN, Mich. — A prestigious Michigan arts academy and summer program where Jeffrey Epstein allegedly encountered at least two victims plans to demolish a building that previously carried the convicted sex offender’s name.
Officials at the Interlochen Center for the Arts announced this week that trustees have given the green light to destroy the Green Lake Lodge, formerly called the Jeffrey E. Epstein Scholarship Lodge before administrators severed connections and removed all references to the deceased millionaire sex criminal following his initial conviction in 2008.
The disgraced financier was a camper at Interlochen Arts Camp in 1967 during his teenage years and contributed over $400,000 to the institution from 1990 through 2003, with $200,000 specifically funding the lodge’s construction.
“The lodge has, over time, come to carry associations that are not reflective of who we are as an institution or the values we strive to uphold,” Interlochen said in a statement. “After careful consideration, the Board determined that removing this structure in a safe and timely manner is the right step for Interlochen at this time.”
The internationally recognized institution for aspiring artists, performers and musicians has produced notable graduates including Grammy winners Chappell Roan and Norah Jones, plus Oscar winner Da’Vine Joy Randolph.
Two women who accused Epstein have stated they encountered him at Interlochen during the 1990s.
School officials acknowledged awareness of media coverage regarding these women’s allegations and extended invitations for them to meet with an independent investigator conducting an external probe into reports of past misconduct at Interlochen.
Two internal examinations, including one conducted after Epstein’s sex trafficking arrest in 2019, discovered no documentation of improper behavior involving Epstein in school files, according to administrators.
Epstein made regular visits to Interlochen, frequently accompanied by his associate and former romantic partner Ghislaine Maxwell, and used the lodge scheduled for demolition as his accommodation.
Justice Department documents recently made public reveal that Epstein arranged for student tuition payments from his donations and once transported violinist Itzhak Perlman to the campus using his private aircraft.
Epstein took his own life in a federal Manhattan detention facility in August 2019, one month following his indictment on federal sex trafficking charges. He previously served jail time in Florida in 2008 and 2009 after entering a guilty plea for soliciting prostitution from a minor.
Maxwell received a sex trafficking conviction in 2021 for her role in recruiting Epstein’s underage victims and is currently serving a 20-year prison term.
