Les Wexner steps down as Ohio State Medical Center board chair

Les Wexner has stepped down as chair of the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Board of Trustees. He will retain his position on the board as chair emeritus. The transition follows intense scrutiny regarding Wexner’s ties to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, whose name appeared frequently in recent Justice Department documents. Survivors of Epstein’s abuse have also filed lawsuits against Wexner and his foundation, alleging he enabled Epstein’s crimes. Students at the university have campaigned for the removal of Wexner’s name from several campus landmarks, including the medical center and the Wexner Center for the Arts.

Separately, an Ohio State advisory committee has recommended against removing the name of former university president William Oxley Thompson from the Thompson Library. The committee’s multi-year investigation concluded there was insufficient evidence to prove Thompson specifically led efforts to segregate Columbus schools or university housing. While the committee did not deny that Thompson held leadership roles during eras of discrimination, it found no evidence he intended to create or maintain a segregated system.