Your institution provides full access to Inside Higher Ed content. George Mitchell’s name appeared in the Epstein files more than 300 times. The University of Maine system voted this week to remove the name of George Mitchell, a former U.S. senator and Democratic majority leader, from a center and scholarships in light of his reported ties to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The decision, made Monday by the system’s Board of Trustees, was first reported by _News Center Maine_. According to _News Center_, Mitchell’s name appeared more than 300 times in the documents released by the Justice Department as part of its Epstein investigation. After his tenure in the Senate, Mitchell played a leading role in negotiating a peace agreement in Northern Ireland and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
The task force noted that Mitchell has not been charged with any crimes and the removal of his name does not represent a judgment of guilt. However, its report noted that “continued use of Senator Mitchell’s name would compromise the public trust and reflect adversely upon the university and its reputation.” The system will rename the Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions and the George J.
Mitchell Peace Scholarship, which funds studies in Ireland, according to board documents. They will be changed to the University of Maine Center for Sustainability Solutions and the University of Maine Peace Scholarship, respectively, though the university’s websites had not been updated as of Wednesday. It will likely be several months before all references to Mitchell are removed, according to _News Center_.
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