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Ohio State University has ended its review of whether to remove Les Wexner’s name from campus buildings, including the Wexner Center for the Arts. Interim Provost Trevor Brown’s decision overrides the advisory committee’s review, despite hundreds of requests citing Wexner’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein. The decision leaves unresolved the effect of the name on the arts center’s staff and relationships with artists and funders.
Ohio State University has ended its review of whether to remove billionaire benefactor Les Wexner’s name from campus buildings, including the Wexner Center for the Arts, despite hundreds of requests for renaming that cited his connections to Jeffrey Epstein. Interim Provost Trevor Brown made the decision public November 6, overriding the advisory committee that had been conducting the review.
The decision means the university will not proceed with the naming review that had considered whether Wexner’s name should remain on campus buildings. Wexner funded the creation of the arts center and remains its board chair, according to Hyperallergic. The report does not say whether the university considered any alternative naming or other steps concerning the center.
Staff at the center told Hyperallergic they have felt the effects of public criticism over the institution’s association with Wexner. A representative of the staff union, Wex Workers United, said workers would face angry and hostile comments and have their work questioned because of the name. The union’s statement describes its concern about the consequences for employees; it is not an account of a university finding about workplace incidents.
In June, Executive Director Cat Predmore told WOSU that one artist had withdrawn from showing work at the center and one grantmaking organization had withdrawn funding over Wexner’s connections to Epstein. The source material does not identify either party or say whether other artists or funders have made similar decisions.
Pressure on the Arts Center
The decision leaves the arts center’s name—and its association with Wexner—unchanged despite public requests for the university to reconsider. That carries practical implications for staff, whose union says they are left to field public anger and questions about work at the institution. It also comes amid reported withdrawals by an artist and a grantmaking organization, raising concerns about the center’s relationships with people and organizations that support its programming.
The available reporting does not establish that the naming decision caused those withdrawals or that further losses will follow. It does show that the dispute is not only about campus signage: the name connects the institution to a benefactor whose ties to Epstein have prompted criticism, and the center’s staff say they are experiencing that criticism in their work.
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How the Naming Review Ended
Ohio State had begun an advisory review of whether Wexner’s name should be removed from campus buildings after receiving hundreds of requests for renaming, according to Hyperallergic. Those requests cited Wexner’s connections to Epstein. The source does not give a precise count, describe the full contents of the requests, or provide the advisory committee’s recommendations.
Interim Provost Trevor Brown’s decision, made public November 6, stopped the review and overrode the committee conducting it. Wexner’s role is directly connected to the arts center: he funded its creation and remains board chair. In June, Cat Predmore’s comments to WOSU provided an earlier indication of consequences for the center, with one artist and one grantmaking organization said to have withdrawn from working with it.
“Workers will bear the brunt of this decision, fielding angry and hostile comments from the public and having the work we do questioned for its association with the Wexner name.”
— A representative of Wex Workers United, the Wexner Center staff union, in a statement to Hyperallergic
Unanswered Questions on Names
The source material does not explain why Brown ended the review, whether the advisory committee issued a recommendation, or whether the university might revisit the naming question later. It also does not specify whether the decision applies to every campus building bearing Wexner’s name or describe any process for future reconsideration.
The scale of the effect on the arts center remains uncertain. The report identifies one artist and one grantmaking organization that withdrew, but provides no names, dates beyond Predmore’s June remarks, or information about the value of the withdrawn support. It is also unclear whether additional artists, funders, staff members, or visitors have taken action over the name.
The Center’s Next Steps
No further university review or change to the Wexner Center’s name is announced in the source material. Ohio State’s stated action is to call off the existing review; any later reconsideration, response to public requests, or additional decision by university leadership remains unknown.
For the arts center, the immediate questions concern how staff will handle continued public criticism and whether its relationships with artists and funders will change. The report does not describe a new policy or support plan from the university or the center. Any further developments would depend on announcements from Ohio State, the center, or the people and organizations involved.
Key Questions
Is the Wexner Center for the Arts changing its name?
No name change is reported. Ohio State called off its review of whether to remove Les Wexner’s name from campus buildings, leaving the Wexner Center name in place.
Who ended the naming review?
Interim Provost Trevor Brown made the decision public November 6, overriding the advisory committee that had been conducting the review.
Why had people asked Ohio State to remove Wexner’s name?
Hundreds of requests cited Wexner’s connections to Jeffrey Epstein, according to Hyperallergic. The source does not provide a detailed count or the full text of those requests.
Have artists or funders withdrawn from the center?
In June, Executive Director Cat Predmore told WOSU that one artist and one grantmaking organization had withdrawn from showing work at and funding the center, respectively, over Wexner’s connections to Epstein. The source does not identify them or report further withdrawals.
What happens next?
No further review or name change has been announced. Whether Ohio State will revisit the issue, and whether the center will see additional changes in artist or funder relationships, is not clear.
Source: hyperallergic.com
