Ohio State University is facing mounting pressure to remove the name of billionaire donor Les Wexner from campus buildings following nearly 300 formal requests citing his past association with disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
University officials say the requests, which include appeals from lawmakers and professional groups, remain under review. As of February 18, about 295 submissions had been filed through the institution’s naming review procedure, according to spokesperson Ben Johnson. Most were lodged after the United States Department of Justice released millions of documents related to ongoing investigations connected to Epstein.
Wexner, 88, is the founder of L Brands, the parent company behind major retail chains including Victoria’s Secret, Bath & Body Works and Abercrombie & Fitch. He graduated from Ohio State in 1959, and his name appears on three university facilities. His wife, Abigail Wexner, is also honoured at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus.
A 2019 Federal Bureau of Investigation document listed Wexner as an alleged co-conspirator in connection with Epstein, though it noted there was limited evidence of his involvement. Wexner has denied wrongdoing and said he was misled during the period Epstein served as his financial adviser from 1987 to 2007.
“I was naive, foolish and gullible to put my trust in Jeffrey Epstein,” Wexner said in a statement prior to giving testimony before the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. “He was a con man… I have done nothing wrong and have nothing to hide.”
Epstein died in custody in New York City in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
Ohio State President Ted Carter said the university is taking the matter seriously but emphasized that Wexner has not been charged with a crime. He noted the university would follow established procedures before making any decision. Carter also acknowledged the family’s philanthropy, describing their contributions as the largest in the institution’s history.
The Wexner family and their foundation have contributed or helped raise nearly $200 million for Ohio State, according to a previous university release, though officials say updated totals are unavailable. Wexner previously served as chair of the university’s Board of Trustees and currently chairs the board of the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
Calls for removal have intensified among public officials. Ohio state senator Bill DeMora said the continued association harms the university’s reputation and has urged the institution to remove Wexner’s name and review board members with ties to him.
Professional groups have joined the calls. The Ohio Nurses Association urged the university to prioritise survivors and remove the name from campus facilities, arguing institutions should not honour figures linked, directly or indirectly, to abuse scandals.
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Other lawmakers have urged caution. Ohio Senate President Rob McColley said the situation should be monitored, while Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio stated it is appropriate to reassess relationships with individuals named in the Epstein files.
Among the buildings bearing the Wexner name are the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, the Wexner Center for the Arts—named after Wexner’s father—and the Les Wexner Football Complex at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. A separate request concerning the football complex remains under review.
At Nationwide Children’s Hospital, the Abigail Wexner Research Institute also faces calls for renaming. The hospital has not publicly responded to inquiries.
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