Students at American University staged a protest and walkout this week after unverified accusations involving a professor and former U.S. ambassador surfaced in the Justice Department’s release of millions of files related to Jeffrey Epstein.
The walkout occurred on Wednesday at American University’s School of International Service (SIS) in Washington, D.C., according to the university’s paper The Wash, with students demanding the suspension of Professor Earl Wayne, the former U.S. Ambassador to Argentina under the Bush administration and Ambassador to Mexico under the Obama administration.
“We don’t know what’s going on, and that makes us feel unsafe,” said Adah Nordin, an American University student who helped organize the walkout, speaking with The Wash. “As someone going to class and getting a diploma from SIS, we deserve to know.”
In July of 2019, less than a month before Epstein was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell, New York Police Department Detective Walter Harkins received a tip from an individual regarding Wayne. That individual alleged, without providing evidence, that Wayne had an “involvement with an underage girl” in Mexico in 2014 at an event organized by Epstein. The individual further alleged that the “underage girl” became pregnant, and that a U.S. Marine was made to serve Wayne’s life sentence in Mexico on his behalf.
Harkins, the NYPD detective, lashed out at The Wash after being contacted for comment.
“How dare you call me,” Harkins told The Wash, according to the outlet. “Don’t let me hear from you again.”
While Wayne has fiercely denied the allegations, an investigation by American University supported Wayne’s denial, concluding that the allegations against him were “baseless and malicious fabrications.”
Nevertheless, students have called for Wayne to be suspended, and without pay, until a full criminal investigation is launched and completed.
“We want the university to push for a criminal investigation, for him to be suspended without pay while it goes on, transparency on the process,” said Tanishka Khanna, another student who helps organize the protest, speaking with The Wash. “Survivors need to feel safe on campus.”
Given the sheer volume of Epstein-related materials released by the DOJ, many of the documents contain unverified, uncorroborated allegations that do not constitute evidence, and do not establish wrongdoing. Wayne is not facing any criminal charges or investigations related to the allegation.