Jeffrey Epstein linked to 2 cases in Interlochen investigation alleging 70 accounts of sexual misconduct
An investigation directed by Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan uncovered dozens of instances where adults who were formerly affiliated with the performing arts center took sexual advantage of students on the campus.
The adults identified in the report include the late Jeffrey Epstein and his co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell, who have been the focus of federal investigations over sexual misconduct.
Interlochen said it began an investigation in 2024 upon receiving a report from one of its alumni, and subsequently hired the law firm Sanghavi Law Office in Brookline, Massachusetts, to conduct an independent review. The law firm issued its 97-page report on Monday, and the academy issued its supporting statement on Tuesday.
The time range of the described incidents happened from the 1950s through the 2010s, the majority of them before 2000. The conduct described included a range of behavior such as comments of a sexual nature, conduct of a sexual nature and relationships between specific adults and some of the students.
"The abuse described in the report is heartbreaking and is contrary to everything Interlochen stands for. We cannot change the past, but we can be unequivocal in stating that this behavior has no place at the Interlochen we care for, not then, not now, and not in the future," Interlochen said.
Interlochen Center for the Arts was founded in 1928 as a youth music camp program in northern Lower Michigan near Traverse City. It has since expanded to a range of performing arts programs, hosting students from around the world and partnering with professional music and arts organizations.
History of the investigation
The center and its board of trustees began the investigation in summer 2024 after an academy alumna from the 1970s shared her experience with a person described as "a longtime faculty member and administrator."
The center expanded its investigation in June 2025, asking any of its alumni who may have witnessed or experienced abuse to participate in the review.
There were 180 interviews conducted during the review, with about 70 firsthand accounts of inappropriate behavior, including physical conduct of a sexual nature, involving 47 adults who were affiliated with Interlochen at the time of the incidents. The investigators also spoke to former employees and reviewed personnel files where available.
Most of the behavior related in the law firm's report occurred before 2000, with very few such cases spurring from incidents in the past 25 years, Interlochen said. The incidents that occurred decades ago were during an era when students were far more isolated from friends and family back home, the report said. There were no cell phones or room phones, and student access to hall phones was limited.
The names of all of the people identified during the investigation were provided to the Grand Traverse County Prosecutor's Office and the Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Office.
"Many of the individuals accused of misconduct are now deceased, and none are currently employed by Interlochen," the center added.
The victims and suspects are, in most cases, referred to anonymously; the report focuses instead on what was said between the individuals and what happened.
The center did identify three people who are now dead — Byron Hanson, a former faculty member and administrator; John "Jack" Hood, a former faculty member and administrator; and Charlie McWhorter, a former trustee.
The center is also naming one other individual, Thomas Clower, a former faculty member. Interlochen said it filed a report with law enforcement regarding possible misconduct and terminated his employment.
In the years since, according to the report, some alumni have maintained friendships that began at Interlochen and have praised the fine arts instruction. Others said they had not returned to the campus, even for a reunion, nor will they donate to the center. Some of those interviewed said the actions that they were victims of were traumatizing and life-altering.
Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell
"Separately, we asked the investigators to speak with individuals who may have been impacted by or had knowledge of Jeffrey Epstein through his past association with Interlochen," the center said.
Epstein attended Interlochen during the summer of 1967 and donated to the Interlochen Center for the Arts between 1990 and 2003, the center previously said. He was also known to have made multiple trips to Interlochen in the 1990s, lawmakers said.
Epstein died in August 2019, while in federal custody awaiting trial. He had by that time been indicted on sex trafficking charges. His co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell, is serving a prison sentence.
The building once named the Jeffrey E. Epstein Scholarship Lodge was renamed Green Lake Lodge in 2009, and demolished in June 2026, Interlochen said.
Two alumni told the investigation team that Epstein "engaged in physical conduct of a sexual nature with them," the newly released report said.
One of the alumni said Epstein and Maxwell had offered to pay her tuition at Interlochen, then withdrew future financial support "after she did not engage in requested conduct." This woman "indicated she did not tell anyone about Epstein's conduct towards her until decades later," the investigators said.
A second alumna told investigators she met Epstein and Maxwell while visiting a friend in New York on a break from Interlochen. Epstein later paid for her to fly to New York, where she says he gave her a tour of his home before bringing her into a room with a massage table, where she gave him a massage and he may have asked her to remove her top, according to the report. She told investigators she had no further contact with Epstein or Maxwell after that visit.
"Epstein was a donor to Interlochen from 1990 to 2003, and we have previously shared information about Interlochen's past connection to Epstein," the center said. "The report includes information about additional conduct by Epstein involving two alumni who reported sexual contact by Epstein after meeting him through Interlochen more than five years before his first criminal conviction."
What happens next
Interlochen says it is updating and expanding resources, policies and reporting options for concerns involving sexual misconduct. They also have established a counseling support fund for the individuals who were affected by the behavior under investigation.
There will be a discussion and dialogue on the topic provided to alumni both online and at an in-person event.
Additional safeguards are focused on hiring practices, background checks, mandated reporting responsibilities and professional training on when a student may need help. Interlochen also referred to Michigan's school safety hotline OK2Say as a way to report unwanted behavior.
The school is also "reviewing naming recognitions associated with individuals whose conduct does not reflect our values."
Matthew Curtis at Sommers Schwartz P.C., an attorney who said he is representing some of the alumni, also provided a statement that includes the following:
"Unfortunately for survivors of abuse at Interlochen, current Michigan law denies them access to justice. We hope that, in light of this recent report, the Michigan state legislature will move quickly to pass legislation that would allow survivors to pursue justice through our civil courts, as they deserve a chance to be heard."