Leader of Columbia Brain Institute Quits Over Friendship With Epstein - What a waste of talent

[JBG]

Leader of Columbia Brain Institute Quits Over Friendship With Epstein (link, excerpts below, no paywall)

Richard Axel, a Nobel Prize-winning scientist and professor, announced Tuesday that he was resigning as a co-director of a flagship neuroscience institute at Columbia University because of his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein.

The resignation is the latest fallout in the world of academia from the release of millions of pages of files in late January that showed how Mr. Epstein’s relationships with billionaires, scientists and others in positions of power continued even after his 2008 felony convictions and his prison sentence for solicitation of prostitution by a minor.

Dr. Axel is not accused of wrongdoing in connection with Mr. Epstein. But the files show that he was a frequent guest of Mr. Epstein’s at his Manhattan home and that he also served as an intermediary on Mr. Epstein’s behalf with Columbia officials involved in admissions and philanthropy.

In a statement, Dr. Axel called his association with Mr. Epstein a “serious error in judgment” and apologized for “compromising the trust of my friends, students and colleagues.”

This is exactly what I was worried about; damage to innocent people. There is no suggestion that professor Axel was involved in any wrongdoing but, as H.R. "Bob" Haldemann notoriously said "once the toothpaste is out of the tube, it is awfully hard to get it back in." (link). In Great Gatsby, "Gatsby even lusts after Daisy as if she is a prize to be won. After all, her voice is "full of money—that was the inexhaustible charm that rose and fell in it, the jingle of it, the cymbals' song of it. . . ." (link). Lots of people were attracted to Epstein's apparent wealth. That doesn't mean that they had sex with a 14 year old. Or, as former Prince Andrew, now Andrew Mountbatten Windsor allegedly did, passed state secrets to Epstein.

A lot of innocent and productive people who can contribute to society are being needlessly damaged by this obsession with Jeffrey Epstein. What a waste!

 

[1srelluc]

It seems to be morphing into nothing but a witch hunt sure enough....It's nothing to do about the "victims" at this point either.

I bet Maxwell is sitting on her bunk laughing her ass off.

 

[luiza]

A lot of innocent and productive people who can contribute to society are being needlessly damaged by this obsession with Jeffrey Epstein. What a waste!

But why make this assumption ?

It is not so much links to Epstein per se that are key , but the wickedness and filth that Epstein did or did not capture on film about their actions .

Separately you could reasonably argue that Epstein Mania is being maintained to Deflect from other matters .

That is possible , but if somebody resigns in front of an arrest or charges, it is reasonable to assume guilt in advance of any later actions and results .
Let alone the lesser but real guilt stemming from Guilt by Association with known criminals /perverts .
This is perhaps not itself a criminal matter but it has always been the case that you are judged ( at least socially ) from those whom you choose as friends and business associates .

 

[drudge X]

And another leftist goes down

 

[scruffy]

He was over the hill anyway.

Columbia has a long history of mistreating their professors.