Yale University announced on February 11, 2026, that it has barred Professor David Gelernter from teaching computer science courses at the school, for the time being, as it conducts an investigation into contacts he had with deceased sex trafficker and pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, which included a message between the two mentioning a Yale student as a possible project.
Gelernter had a lengthy history of correspondence with Epstein, which was revealed after another batch of files related to Epstein was released in January by the Justice Department. An email addressed to Epstein and dated October 2011 was included in the files, and shows Gelernter discussing a software project to be completed.
“I have a perfect editoress in mind: Yale sr, worked at Vogue last summer, runs her own campus mag, art major, completely connected, v small goodlooking blonde,” Gelernter told Epstein. The message was sent to the billionaire pedophile three years after he pleaded guilty to pimping out an underage girl for prostitution. He only served 13 months in prison for that incident.
According to a report from The Yale Daily News, Gelernter was barred from teaching classes pending a review from the university. Another report from CNBC stated that the news outlet reached out to Yale concerning Gelernter’s status at the school and his contact with Jeffrey Epstein. They received a reply from the school stating that the institution “is committed to excellence in the classroom and to fostering an environment in which all members of our community feel respected and valued.”
“Last week, leadership in the School of Engineering and Applied Science became aware of reports regarding communication between a professor and a party external to the Yale community; the professor later both acknowledged and defended this communication and the action he took in connection with the communication,” the statement read. “The university does not condone the action taken by the professor or his described manner of providing recommendations for his students.”
“The professor’s conduct is under review. Until the review is completed, the professor will not teach his class,” it added. The outlet reached out to Gelernter, but as of this writing, did not receive a response. Interestingly, Gelernter sustained serious injuries in June 1993 when he opened a package he received from Ted Kaczynski, who is also known as the Unabomber. The package contained an explosive device. The explosion left him without the use of his right hand.
Yale isn’t the only Ivy League school to be hit hard by the Epstein files. Former Harvard University President Larry Summers stepped back from all public commitments due to the fallout from emails he had with Epstein. In one series of exchanges, Summers sought dating advice from Epstein about pursuing a romantic relationship with a woman he said viewed him as a mentor. Summers was married with children at the time.
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“I am deeply ashamed of my actions and recognize the pain they have caused. I take full responsibility for my misguided decision to continue communicating with Mr. Epstein,” Summers went on to say in a statement about the situation. In November 2025, Harvard said it would conduct an investigation into Summers’ relationship with Epstein in light of the release of the files.
Watch a Democrat freak out over his party’s close ties to Epstein getting exposed: