Students at Dartmouth College have intensified their campaign to remove billionaire collector Leon Black’s name from the school’s visual arts center. The renewed push follows the release of Department of Justice files detailing Black’s extensive financial ties to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, including $170 million in payments for tax and estate advice. While Black has denied all allegations of misconduct and his legal team maintains he was unaware of Epstein’s criminal activities, student leaders are citing the college's recent decision to strip César Chávez’s name from a fellowship as a precedent for moral accountability.
This dispute underscores the growing ethical and legal challenges facing cultural and educational institutions regarding donor naming rights. As universities and museums like MoMA—where Black previously served as chairman—grapple with the legacy of controversial benefactors, they must balance the financial necessity of multi-million dollar gifts against the reputational risks of maintaining ties to figures associated with scandal. The outcome at Dartmouth could signal how institutions navigate the complex intersection of philanthropy, provenance, and public pressure.