Table of Contents generated with DocToc
- Joi Ito posts an apology regarding Jeffrey Epstein on the Media Lab's website.
- Ethan Zuckerman announces his resignation from the Media Lab.
- L. Rafael Reif, President of MIT publishes Jeffrey Epstein and MIT, confirming that "Over the course of 20 years, MIT received approximately $800,000 via foundations controlled by Jeffrey Epstein".
- First Wayback Machine
snapshot of wesupportjoi.org,
stating "we the undersigned, attest not only to Joi’s talent in managing one of the
most complex and multidisciplinary research organizations in the world, but also, and
more importantly, to his character: thoughtful, humble, principled, and generous".
High profile signatories include
- Mary Lou Jepsen
- George Church
- Lawrence Lessig
- Stewart Brand
- Danny Hillis
- Jonathan Zittrain
- Nicholas Negroponte
- Robert Langer
- Kate Darling publishes Jeffrey Epstein's influence in the science world is a symptom of larger problems as an opinion piece in The Guardian.
- Richard Langer, in an interview with WBUR, says "the tremendously good things he’s done for MIT and for the world — so far outweigh the bad things" and "there are people who are gonna complain about everything".
- Arwa Mboya publishes Why Joi Ito needs to resign as a guest column in The Tech, MIT's student newspaper.
- Ito hosts an
all-hands meeting at the Media Lab
in an attempt to "ease tensions over the controversy and begin addressing its root
causes". Ito "concluded that he should stay at the Media Lab and help with the healing
process."
- Near the end of the meeting, unprompted, Nicholas Negroponte announces "he had recommended that Ito take Epstein’s money. “If you wind back the clock,” he added, “I would still say, ‘Take it.’” And he repeated, more emphatically, “‘Take it.’”"
- Anand Giridharadas withdraws as a Disobedience Award juror.
- Ronan Farrow publishes How An Élite University Research Center Concealed Its Relationship with Jeffrey Epstein in the New Yorker. This article contains many allegations that are in conflict with earlier statements by Ito and MIT.
- Ito resigns from the Media Lab and all affiliation with MIT
- L. Rafael Reif publishes Fact Finding and action on the Media Lab, announcing "an immediate, thorough and independent investigation" into the allegations made in Farrow's article.
- wesupportjoi.org is taken down.
- Some of those who previously supported Ito withdraw or clarify their support
- Jonathon Zittrain commnts on twitter, writing "I was wrong to sign the letter because it backgrounded the injury Epstein wrought... and because it may have appeared that any support would be unconditional and forever. I’m sorry."
- Mary Lou Jepsen publishes MIT Media Lab’s Joi Ito out in disgrace & there is more to do, stating " I was too trusting and was wrong".
- Lawrence Lessig publishes On Joi and MIT, says "I had wanted, in the spirit of the Net, to respond and explain then. I was asked by Joi’s friends not to... MIT is less now that Joi is gone."
Thanks and recognition to all those whose actions of speaking up, reporting, etc made this timeline possible. Special thanks to Arwa Mboya, a Masters student at the Media Lab, and Signe Swenson, a former MIT employee and major source for Farrow's article.