One of the world’s most prominent atheist academics is embroiled in a scandal involving his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, as well as a string of misconduct allegations that led to his dismissal from the faculty of Arizona State University.
For context, Lawrence Krauss, an atheist author, speaker, and professor, was met with intense criticism from both the left and the right when it was revealed by the State Press on July 12, 2019, that he received approximately $250,000 from notorious predator Jeffrey Epstein between 2010 and 2017, with the funds coming from Epstein’s philanthropic foundation, Enhanced Education.
According to coverage from the State Press, records confirmed that Epstein had provided substantial funding for the Origins Project, a non-profit organization founded by Krauss devoted to promoting a secular worldview. However, Krauss was reportedly replaced as director of the Origins Project in August of 2018 after allegations of misconduct emerged that tarnished his reputation.
Prior to the revelation that Krauss had received direct funding from Epstein, his reputation had been wrecked by an Arizona State University investigation that confirmed that Krauss had violated the school’s sexual harassment policy. After Krauss was accused of groping a woman in 2016, Mark Searle of ASU wrote a letter saying that “responsive action is being taken to prevent any further recurrence of similar conduct.”
Following the emergence of the allegations against Krauss, the outspoken atheist was reportedly banned from ASU’s campus, with a statement from the university confirming that he was not allowed to return “for the duration of the review” of his conduct. The statement read, “In an effort to avoid further disruption to the normal course of business as the university continues to gather facts about the allegations, Krauss has been placed on paid leave and is prohibited from being on campus.”
Predictably, Krauss denied the allegations that he had groped a woman, calling it “libelous” in a response published online. Furthermore, he wrote, “While it has gone against every grain of my nature not to immediately speak and write against falsehoods and distortions imposed upon the public, I have been advised by many individuals, wiser and more experienced than I in these matters, to wait until calmer heads, including my own, prevailed.”
Concerningly, Krauss has been closely linked with Jeffrey Epstein for years, with a Daily Beast article from 2011 quoting Krauss as saying that his relationship with Epstein made him feel “raised.” In addition, Krauss staunchly defended Epstein to the Daily Beast, “Jeffrey (Epstein) has surrounded himself with beautiful women and young women, but they’re not as young as the ones that were claimed.” He added, “I don’t feel tarnished in any way by my relationship with Jeffrey; I feel raised by it.”
Before multiple scandals destroyed his reputation, Krauss frequently engaged in debates with Christians and fellow atheists alike, and he was known for constantly interrupting his opponents, with Christian Apologist Dr. William Lane Craig saying of Krauss, “It’s unbelievable that a professor at a major state university in the Unites States could behave in such an unprofessional manner.”
Featured image credit: Lawrence Krauss via X