Yale University has suspended computer science professor David Gelernter from teaching duties while it investigates his conduct following the release of correspondence with the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The decision comes after newly unsealed documents from the U.S. Justice Department revealed emails in which Gelernter recommended a Yale undergraduate to Epstein, describing her as a “v small good‑looking blonde.”

In messages dated October 2011—several years after Epstein’s guilty plea to charges of soliciting a minor—Gelernter referred to the student as a potential candidate for a position at one of Epstein’s companies. The emails were made public as part of a broader cache released on January 31, which details Epstein’s interactions with numerous academics, scientists, and political figures.

According to Yale, Gelernter will not teach during the university’s review. “The university does not condone the action taken by the professor or his described manner of providing recommendations for his students,” the institution said in a written statement. “The professor’s conduct is under review. Until the review is completed, the professor will not teach his class.”

Gelernter defended his message in a recent email to Jeffrey Brock, dean of Yale’s School of Engineering and Applied Science, saying he took Epstein’s “habits” into account when crafting the recommendation. “She was smart, charming & gorgeous,” he wrote, adding, “Ought I to have suppressed that info? Never!” He later reiterated this defense to his students through the university’s course management platform, calling the email a private communication that had been unfairly publicized.

The 70‑year‑old professor has taught at Yale since 1982 and is best known for his work in computer science, particularly in developing the Linda programming system for parallel computing. In 1993, he survived a bombing attack by Ted Kaczynski, the “Unabomber,” which left him seriously injured. His prominent academic career has often intersected with public commentary on culture and technology, but his correspondence with Epstein has now brought renewed scrutiny.

Gelernter is among a growing number of figures whose communications with Epstein have surfaced in the federal files, prompting institutional reviews both in academia and beyond. He and the student reportedly did not know of Epstein’s conviction at the time of the recommendation. Epstein had pled guilty to sex crime charges in Florida in 2008, served jail time, and was later arrested again in 2019 on federal sex‑trafficking charges. He died by suicide in jail that same year.

Why this matters

The controversy surrounding Gelernter highlights persistent questions about faculty ethics, discretion in professional recommendations, and how universities handle relationships that intersect with known abusers or reputational risk. Yale’s internal review will likely determine whether Gelernter’s comments violated university standards of professional conduct. The broader issue—how private correspondence and moral judgment intersect in academic accountability—remains a topic with national implications for higher education governance and transparency.

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