Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers has taken a sudden leave from his teaching duties at Harvard University, where he had previously held the position of president. This decision comes in light of recently disclosed emails revealing his friendly interactions with Jeffrey Epstein, as confirmed by his spokesperson.
Summers had been gradually withdrawing from his public engagements following the backlash over his connections with Epstein, a convicted sex offender. Initially, he had pledged to continue teaching economics courses at Harvard.
However, by Wednesday evening, Summers not only stepped down from teaching but also resigned from his role as director of the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government at the Harvard Kennedy School. His spokesperson, Steven Goldberg, stated, “Mr. Summers has chosen to go on leave from his position as Director to facilitate Harvard’s review process. His co-teachers will handle the remaining sessions of the courses he was involved in this semester, and he will not be teaching next semester.”
A spokesperson from Harvard, as confirmed by the Associated Press, acknowledged that Summers had informed the university of his decision. It remains uncertain at this point whether Summers will resume teaching in the upcoming semester. The news of Summers going on leave was initially reported by The Harvard Crimson.
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Although Harvard did not mention Summers by name in their decision to initiate a review, this action follows the emergence of emails demonstrating his amicable relationship with Epstein even after the latter’s 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor.
By Wednesday, the once esteemed economics expert had come under increased scrutiny for opting to remain in his teaching capacity. Some students recorded his address to an undergraduate class on Tuesday, during which he emphasized the importance of continuing to teach.
Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat, criticized Summers in a social media post on Wednesday, stating that he had associated with the affluent and influential, including a convicted sex offender, and therefore should not be entrusted with influential positions.
Summers’ Departure from OpenAI Board
Earlier on Wednesday, Summers ended his affiliation with OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT.
In a statement, the board expressed, “Larry has opted to resign from the OpenAI board of directors, and we respect his decision. We value his numerous contributions and the unique perspective he brought to the board.”
This announcement came a day after Summers announced his withdrawal from public commitments.
Summers stated separately regarding his departure from OpenAI, “I am thankful for the opportunity to have contributed, excited about the organization’s potential, and eager to monitor their advancements.”
He had joined the OpenAI board in November 2023 as part
