Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged victims accuse New York Academy of Art of ‘victim blaming’
https://pagesix.com/2020/07/01/jeffrey-epstein-survivors-accuse-new-york-academy-of-art-of-victim-blaming/
By Sara NathanJuly 1, 2020
in video at 5:00, Maria Farmer, Epstein and Maxwell victim, said her mistake was being at the wrong art school. Said she 'met' them in 1995 at the NY School of Art.
One of Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged victims has accused the New York Academy of Art of “victim blaming,” after the institution released a report this week saying that her sister falsely accused them of leading the two women into the clutches of the late sex predator.
The NYAA and its legal team on Tuesday ripped Maria Farmer, who has accused academy trustee Eileen Guggenheim of forcing her to sell a painting — called “The Rape” — to Epstein and insisting that she got a trip to the billionaire perv’s so-called “Zorro Ranch” in New Mexico in 1995.
Maria Farmer claimed in recent media reports that during the ranch trip, she and other students were allegedly forced by Epstein to play games with his stash of sex toys.
She said she eventually wound up hanging out with Epstein in Ohio and at his New York mansion, where she also worked for him — and that she and her younger sister, Annie, were abused by him and his alleged madam, Ghislaine Maxwell.
NYAA insisted in its new report — which was produced by the law firm, Walden Macht & Haran — that Guggenheim played “no role” in introducing the Farmers to Epstein, nor did she force Maria to sell her painting, which was inspired by Degas’ “The Rape.”
“Farmer alleged that she reported her abuse — which occurred a year later in 1996 in Ohio — to Guggenheim, but that Guggenheim did nothing to assist her. A number of these allegations are contradicted by Farmer’s own sworn statements, as well as by other witness testimony,” read the statement which was shown to Page Six.
The report also said that Maria had given sworn testimony that she negotiated the painting sale with Epstein and that in “sworn statement in a federal court action [she said] she observed conduct that caused her to suspect Epstein of inappropriate behavior with school-aged girls during her employment for Epstein in the summer of approximately 1995-96.”
“Based on the findings of the investigation, the Board of Trustees now believes that critical aspects of Farmer’s allegations against Guggenheim are untrue,” said the report, which also said that Guggenheim should keep her position.
The academy’s report outraged Annie, who accused them of trying to “curry favor” with Maxwell and Epstein for years.
“Since Epstein’s arrest almost one year ago, we have watched as other institutions with ties to Epstein have engaged in critical self-examination to do an accounting of how their organizations benefited from the predator he was,” she said.
“In sharp contrast, the Academy has gone into a bunker and sought to protect itself rather than exploring the important questions and issues to protect their students moving forward … The Academy is retreating to the tired and intolerable act of victim blaming, and it’s wrong at many levels.”
The Farmers’ attorney, Sigrid McCawley, said: “The New York Academy of Art never contacted us until they completed their report. They never sought input or perspective from the victims until they completed their report. They sought out solely the conclusion they want to believe is the truth. It is offensive and out-of-touch with the remarkable forward progress of victims’ rights.”
The academy told Page Six: “The investigative report states that the investigation contacted both Maria and Annie Farmer to request their participation, however was unable to secure their cooperation in the investigation.”