Harvard University has launched a confidential investigation into two students accused of leaking a video showing prominent professor Larry Summers apologising for his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The Leaked Lecture and Viral Fallout
Students Rosie P. Couture and Lola DeAscentiis are under scrutiny after posting two videos to TikTok in November. The first clip, shared on November 18, showed Summers, 70, addressing his class about his "regret" and "shame" over emails he sent to the disgraced financier. The video, captioned with a vomit emoji and the text 'This is how classes start at Harvard: Professors apologizing for their ties to Jeffrey Epstein', quickly went viral.
In the footage, the former US Treasury Secretary reiterated a pledge to "step back from public activity" but stated he would continue teaching "for a time." The public outcry was immediate, with thousands calling for his dismissal. The very next day, Summers announced his resignation from his teaching role at the Ivy League institution.
Scope of the Secret University Probe
According to sources speaking to the New York Times, Harvard officials are now investigating the students for leaking both the initial confession and a follow-up lecture where his replacement, Professor Robert Lawrence, announced Summers' departure. In the second video, a student can be heard yelling "No we won't!" after Lawrence said the class would miss Summers' "insights and his wisdom."
The inquiry is examining whether the students violated university policy by attending a class they were not enrolled in and filming without consent. Disciplinary action could range from a private reprimand to expulsion. The probe was initially categorised as an anti-bullying investigation but has since shifted focus to specific policy breaches.
A Harvard spokesperson confirmed the investigation but stated it had "nothing to do with the specific class or instructors." The statement emphasised that any student who "attends a class session without permission, records the class without permission, and then makes the recording public would be similarly at risk for disciplinary action."
The Embarrassing Email Exchanges
The scandal stems from the November release of a vast tranche of Epstein documents by the House Oversight Committee. These revealed cringe-worthy email exchanges between Summers and Epstein dated from 2013 to 2019—long after Epstein's 2008 guilty plea for sex crimes against children.
The emails showed the married economics professor frequently discussing current events and his love life with Epstein. In one March 2019 email, Summers complained about feeling like "the friend without benefits" with a woman and sought Epstein's advice on how to reply to her texts. He analysed the situation in economic terms, weighing how to "maximize profit" from the interaction. Epstein, referring to himself as Summers' "wingman," praised his approach.
The revelations prompted Senator Elizabeth Warren to urge Harvard to sever ties with Summers, stating she believed he "cannot be trusted" with young students. Summers, who is married to Harvard professor emerita Elisa New, has since told The Harvard Crimson that his association with Epstein was a "major error of judgment."
