David A. Ross resigns from New York's School of Visual Arts over friendship with Jeffrey Epstein

David A. Ross resigned as chair of the Master of Fine Arts in art practice department at New York’s School of Visual Arts (SVA), effective 3 February, after newly released “Epstein Files” documents highlighted his correspondence with Jeffrey Epstein. The Art Newspaper reported on 10 February 2026 that the files—part of more than three million documents published online last month—include emails showing Ross praising Epstein’s ideas and expressing sympathy for him after Epstein’s first criminal conviction in 2008. SVA students had called for Ross’s resignation in an open letter citing the correspondence. Ross had served at SVA since 2009 and previously led the Whitney Museum of American Art (1991–1998) and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art for three years.

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