Former UT Professor Thomas K. Hubbard requested convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein fund conference critical of new Title IX rules

Please note: The Orator has attached the relevant letter to this article and recommends readers view the document in full. 

Between 2019 and 2020, a group of students at the University of Texas accused classics Professor Thomas K. Hubbard of promoting pedophilia, demanding the University terminate his professorship. His work centered on the sexual dynamics of ancient Greek societies, in particular the practice of pederasty (sexual relations between adult men and young boys). Hubbard consistently denied any wrongdoing. In the wake of the student campaign against him he sued UT Austin for employment discrimination. In 2021, the university settled the suit for an unknown sum; he resigned his professorship in compliance with the terms of the agreement. Hubbard also brought libel claims against the students who accused him of wrongdoing.

A new batch of files related to Jeffrey Epstein, released days ago by the Department of Justice, reveals that in 2015 Hubbard sent a letter to Epstein’s philanthropic foundation requesting funding for an academic conference. That conference was meant to critically examine changes to Title IX rules implemented in 2015 and 2016. 

Hubbard states in the letter::

“I have a project of some contemporary import that I hope will be of interest to you [Epstein]. Recent Department of Education Title IX directives, coupled with legislation at the state and federal levels, have greatly expanded the involvement of college administrations in monitoring and policing student sexuality with a view to creating a ‘rape-free environment’ on campuses.

“I am organizing an academic conference during Spring 2016 that will…critically examine these developments and their underlying ideological assumptions about sexual consent.” 

“… my original budget of $12,000 will be insufficient to give this conference the support it needs to reach the largest audience or invite the widest range of experts who are concerned with improving the way this issue is addressed. I would like to raise another S10-20K to invite additional speakers (some of whom require honoraria), video-record the conference for web archiving, and eventually publish the conference papers.”

“I would like to inquire whether the Jeffrey Epstein Foundation might be willing to contribute toward the goal of giving this conference greater visibility and injecting some measure of rationality into the debate before the juggernaut of bad legislation gains further momentum.”

See the full letter below: