University of Iowa Will Drop Steve Wynn’s Name From Major Institute He Funded

Steve Wynn Image by Getty

By Ari Feldman February 1, 2018

The University of Iowa says it is planning to remove Steve Wynn’s name from a major institute on its campus in the wake of sexual assault allegations made against him, the Washington Post reported. In January, the Wall Street Journal reported that Wynn had pressured employees into sex.

In 2013, the University of Iowa unveiled the newly renamed Stephen A. Wynn Institute for Vision Research. Wynn had made $25 million commitment to the school to support the institute. Wynn has hereditary blindness.

“University leadership determined retaining the name would be damaging to the institution’s reputation following recent allegations of sexual misconduct by Mr. Wynn,” the University of Iowa said in a statement on Wednesday.

The statement added that the renaming of the vision institute was “in recognition of the gift, and not a condition of the gift.” The statement also said that Wynn had so far donated $20 million to the institute.

The day after the Journal’s story broke, Wynn resigned as chairman of the Republican Finance Committee.

Contact Ari Feldman at [email protected] or on Twitter @aefeldman

Ari Feldman is a staff writer at the Forward. He covers Jewish religious organizations, synagogue life, anti-Semitism and the Orthodox world. If you have any tips, you can email him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @aefeldman.

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