Former College trustee Leon Black ’73 has been sued by a woman alleging that Black raped her at the home of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in 2002. Black is the namesake of the Black Family Visual Arts Center, and College spokesperson Diana Lawrence confirmed today that there are no plans to rename the arts center.
Cheri Pierson, the woman who filed the lawsuit, alleged that Black raped her in a “brutal attack” in Epstein’s mansion in New York City. According to the filing, Epstein arranged for Pierson to give Black a massage in a private suite, but left Epstein’s house in “excruciating pain.” Pierson named both Black and the estate of Epstein as defendants in the lawsuit, filed in New York court on Monday.
Black has denied the allegations, according to CNN.
Lawrence declined to comment on the ongoing legal matter.
Black is also facing allegations of sexual harassment by Russian model Guzel Ganieva, which Black has also denied. An internal review from private equity firm Apollo Global Management, founded by Black, revealed that he paid Epstein more than $150 million from 2012 to 2017. Black is a longtime donor to the College and has also established two endowed professorships.
A full story with more information will be published in the near future.
