Interlochen Center for the Arts in northern Michigan continues to grapple with its former ties to Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced alumnus and donor who contributed over $400,000 to the institution. Epstein, who attended the prestigious arts camp as a teenage bassoonist, used his philanthropy to gain access where he met two of his earliest victims, according to Justice Department records.

The school has taken significant steps to distance itself from Epstein, renaming the Jeffrey E. Epstein Scholarship Lodge to Green Lake Lodge and now planning to demolish the structure entirely. Interlochen has also overhauled security practices with 240 cameras installed across its 1,200-acre campus and hired a law firm to evaluate reports of past sexual misconduct by former faculty and staff.

Despite the association with Epstein, Interlochen officials report that applications from qualified candidates remain strong. "The association conflates the most vile individual with something that's extremely beautiful and important," said President Trey Devey. The school maintains no abuse occurred on campus during Epstein's ties to the institution, which began in 1990 and ended after his 2008 conviction.