The Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s president pledged on Thursday to donate the same amount of funds the school received from late accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein to a charity that would benefit sex abuse victims. “To Jeffrey Epstein’s victims, on behalf of the MIT administration, I offer a profound and humble apology,” President L. Rafael Reif wrote in a Thursday letter. “With hindsight, we recognize with shame and distress that we allowed MIT to contribute to the elevation of his reputation, which in turn served to distract from his horrifying acts. No apology can undo that.” Reif said Epstein donated about $800,000 to the school through various foundations, which all went to the MIT Media Lab or Professor Seth Lloyd. The professor and the media lab have both previously apologized for receiving the funds. Reif also said the university would convene a group to look into the Epstein donations and “identify any lessons for the future.”
