Announcement Regarding Trustee Resignation

Dear All,

I am writing to update the Vassar community. I have just learned from the Chair of the Board of Trustees that Linda Fairstein has resigned from the Board, as of today. I am told that Ms. Fairstein felt that, given the recent widespread debate over her role in the Central Park case, she believed that her continuing as a Board member would be harmful to Vassar.

The events of the last few days have underscored how the history of racial and ethnic tensions in this country continue to deeply influence us today, and in ways that change over time. As I have received many emails and phone calls from people who have expressed a broad range of views on this issue, I am reminded of William Faulkner’s quote: “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” 

We come to the present with our individual and intersecting histories. Even with much discussion, we may not reach agreement about important issues. My hope is that our continued debate and discord fosters a community of profound learning and humanity.

Elizabeth H. Bradley, President

Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, NY 12604
@EHBVassar