Survivors Detail Abuse at Interlochen and Encounters With Jeffrey Epstein (7/29/26)

An independent investigation commissioned by the Interlochen Center for the Arts documented approximately 70 firsthand accounts of alleged sexual misconduct by adults affiliated with the prestigious Michigan arts school and summer camp. Investigators conducted about 180 interviews and identified 47 accused individuals, including faculty members, teachers, residence staff, donors, trustees and visitors. The reported conduct stretched from the 1950s through the 2010s and ranged from grooming, sexual comments and inappropriate touching to allegations of rape, oral sex and long-term sexual relationships between adults and students. Former students described lasting consequences, including PTSD, damaged relationships, extensive therapy and abandoning musical or artistic careers because Interlochen had become inseparable from the abuse they said they experienced.The investigation began after a former student reported alleged misconduct by longtime faculty member Byron Hanson, leading Interlochen to invite other alumni to come forward. Seven alumni gave firsthand accounts involving Hanson from the 1960s and 1970s, while numerous other employees and associates were accused of misconduct across later decades. The report also expanded scrutiny of Jeffrey Epstein’s access to the campus: two alumni reported sexual contact by Epstein after meeting him through Interlochen, where he was a donor and maintained a lodge. Interlochen said none of the 47 accused individuals remains employed there, referred the names to prosecutors and law enforcement, and announced additional safety, accountability and survivor-support measures while acknowledging that the institution must confront the harm described by its former students.to contact me:[email protected]:70 Interlochen students allege past grooming, sex assaults by 47 adults