COLUMBUS, OHIO — Small protests have been held in recent months on the Ohio State University main campus calling for the removal of Les Wexner's name from campus buildings, citing Wexner's association with Jeffrey Epstein. A group of former OSU athletes also submitted a formal naming removal request arguing that Wexner's donations to the university are undermined by Epstein's involvement in family spending decisions, including the naming of the football complex.

The naming removal request from the former athletes stated, "Ohio State University cannot credibly separate itself from these facts, nor can it justify continuing to honor Les Wexner with an athletic facility." Protesters gathered on campus in rain, snow and bitter cold during the demonstrations.

At OSU, name removal requests are reviewed through a five-step procedure that takes place mostly outside public view and has no set timeline. University President Ravi Bellamkonda said, "The process is thorough, fair, and open, and I will promise you that we will give each request a full consideration."

Les and Abigail Wexner and their charities have donated over $200 million to OSU, including $100 million to benefit the Wexner Medical Center and $5 million — split with a foundation run by Epstein — toward construction of the football complex. They also donated at least $15 million for the Wexner Center, a contemporary art museum named for Harry Wexner. The university previously confronted a sexual abuse scandal involving athletes.

Michael Oser, a Columbus-area resident, wrote a letter to the editor expressing frustration among defenders of retaining the Wexner name. "OSU took the money. Built the buildings. Cut the ribbons," Oser wrote.

Similar calls are occurring at Harvard University and other U.S. campuses for the removal of names honoring Epstein associates including Steve Tisch, Casey Wasserman, Glenn Dubin and Howard Lutnick. Students and faculty at the Harvard Kennedy School submitted a renaming request in March targeting the Leslie H. Wexner Building and the Wexner-Sunshine Lobby, citing Wexner's ties to Epstein. Les and Abigail Wexner have donated $42 million to the Harvard Kennedy School. A Harvard spokesman confirmed the university received the request and declined to comment further.

At Haverford College, the student body voted to urge the college president to proceed with renaming the Allison & Howard Lutnick Library, named for U.S. Commerce Secretary Lutnick. In a February open letter, the president said she was not ready to proceed with the renaming. At Tufts University, the Steve Tisch Sports and Fitness Center removed a set of Tisch's handprints during spring break; Tufts said the removal was part of a planned renovation and that it continues to review the matter of buildings named for Epstein associates.

University donors have faced increased scrutiny because of ties to Epstein, and some academics resigned after their emails with Epstein surfaced in recent files. Museums in New York and Paris, along with Tufts and the University of Oxford, removed the Sackler name from their buildings. Harvard issued a 15-page report explaining its 2024 decision not to remove the Sackler name.

Anne Bergeron, a museum consultant and author, said universities recognize that donor conduct may be judged differently over time. "It's no surprise that a lot of these situations arise within the university sphere, because with students — especially the younger generation — there is virtually no tolerance for being associated with anyone who doesn't represent the best of humanity," Bergeron said.