An investigation commissioned by the Interlochen Center for the Arts has uncovered "devastating" reports of sexual misconduct, including allegations involving Jeffrey Epstein, a major donor to the prestigious Michigan fine arts school. The 97-page report details 70 accounts from alumni alleging "physical conduct of a sexual nature" by 47 faculty and staff members affiliated with Interlochen between the 1950s and 2010s, with most incidents occurring before 2000.
Interlochen, which operates a summer camp and performing arts school, hired a law firm in 2024 to investigate reports of sexual abuse by faculty and staff. The scope of the investigation was later expanded to include information about Epstein, the financier who died in jail in 2019.
According to the report, two women who attended Interlochen stated that Epstein engaged in conduct of a sexual nature with them. One incident reportedly occurred at the Interlochen lodge that once bore Epstein's name. The report notes that he brushed against her body "over her clothes, in a manner in which he indicated was accidental." This woman also stated that Epstein paid for her to visit him in New York while she was a student, during which time she recalled him being "handsy" with her.
The other woman reported that she gave Epstein a massage at his home, and he may have asked her to remove her top. She stated she had no further contact with Epstein or his girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell.
Epstein, who was an Interlochen camper in 1967, donated more than $400,000 to the school between 1990 and 2003. Interlochen removed his name from a lodge after his 2008 conviction for sex offenses in Florida. The building, subsequently renamed the Green Lake Lodge, was recently demolished.
The investigation's findings also include allegations of grooming, flirting, sexual touching, and sex against other individuals affiliated with the school. Interlochen has provided the names of those accused of misconduct to Grand Traverse County authorities. None of the accused are currently employed by the school, and more than a third are deceased.
In a letter to the community, Interlochen president Trey Davey and board chair Barrett Rollins expressed deep sorrow for the harm experienced by members of their community. "While the vast majority of the incidents described in the investigation took place many decades ago, and reports of abuse at Interlochen have significantly decreased over the past 25 years, the passage of time does not diminish the experiences of our alumni," they stated. They emphasized that "sexual abuse committed by an adult in a position of power or trust against a student is wrong, then and now." Davey and Rollins added that Interlochen today is "fundamentally different from the institution described in this report," highlighting comprehensive safety policies and a changed culture.