Columbia University has severed ties with two former academics at its dental school for bypassing admissions rules to allow Jeffrey Epstein's girlfriend, Karyna Shuliak, to enrol. The disciplinary action follows an investigation prompted by a Daily Mail exposé revealing Epstein's involvement in securing Shuliak's place.
Dr. Thomas Magnani, Epstein's former dentist, has been removed from the admissions review community and all volunteer roles, and has lost his affiliation with the school for his private practice. Dr. Letty Moss-Salentijn, a tenured faculty member since 1968, has been stripped of her administrative roles, including her position as vice dean for academic affairs, where she helped create a personalised study plan for Shuliak.
In a statement, Columbia said: 'In short, a student was admitted to the dental school through an irregular process, coinciding with fundraising solicitations by former academic and alumni leadership of the school.' The university added that the fundraising discussions were conducted by former leadership without direction from the medical centre or university.
Emails released in the Justice Department's latest Epstein Files show that Ira Lamster, then dean of the College of Dental Medicine, assured Epstein that Shuliak would be fast-tracked despite lacking a bachelor's degree and having weak English skills. Lamster acknowledged the 'optics are bad' but denied any quid pro quo, though the university identified $210,000 in gifts from Epstein-related entities, which it will donate to sex abuse victim support groups.
Shuliak, now 36 and a dentist, had a nine-year relationship with Epstein. She is not accused of any wrongdoing. The current dental school leadership was found to have no connection to the scandal.
