Yale University has suspended a prominent computer science professor after newly released federal documents revealed he emailed Jeffrey Epstein recommending an undergraduate student for a job — describing her as a “good-looking blonde.”
The Ivy League institution confirmed that David Gelernter will not teach classes while it reviews his conduct. The action comes after documents released by the U.S. Justice Department in late January showed Gelernter corresponded with Epstein and suggested a Yale senior for employment, referring to her physical appearance in the process.
Just in…Yale bars David Gelernter from teaching classes amid review of Jeffrey Epstein emails.
Just look at this creepy slob and tell me why @Yale thought it was a great idea to hire him in the first place?
He should be fired without delay! pic.twitter.com/Np7ABPGoqR
— Parrot Capital 🦜 (@ParrotCapital) February 12, 2026
According to the records, Gelernter emailed Epstein in October 2011 — several years after Epstein had pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution from an underage girl and was registered as a s-x offender. In that message, Gelernter wrote that he had an “editoress” in mind for a job opportunity and described the undergraduate as a “v small good-looking blonde.”
The emails were part of a broader cache of Epstein-related materials made public by the Justice Department. The documents show that Gelernter and the late financier exchanged messages over time on topics including business and art.
Gelernter, who has taught at Yale for decades, previously made national headlines in 1993 when he was severely injured by a mail bomb sent by “Unabomber” Theodore Kaczynski. He later returned to teaching and became one of the university’s most prominent computer science professors. After the emails surfaced, Gelernter defended his actions in correspondence with Jeffrey Brock, dean of Yale’s School of Engineering & Applied Science, according to a New York Post report. He also shared his explanation with the student newspaper.
Yale computer science professor David Gelernter is defending almost six years of email correspondence with Jeffrey Epstein, including a recommendation for a student he described as a “completely connected, v small goodlooking blonde,” reportedly saying that he was only trying to… pic.twitter.com/wsWtxqZvE0
— Forbes (@Forbes) February 5, 2026
In that message, Gelernter acknowledged Epstein’s reputation, writing that the financier was “obsessed with girls” — “like every other unmarried billionaire in Manhattan; in fact, like every other heterosex male” — and said he kept “the potential boss’s habits in mind” when drafting the recommendation.
“So long as I said nothing that dishonored her in any conceivable way, I’d have told him more or less what he wanted,” Gelernter wrote. “She was smart, charming & gorgeous. Ought I to have suppressed that info? Never!” He doubled down further, adding, “I’m very glad I wrote the note.”
Epstein, who was arrested in 2019 on federal charges involving sex trafficking of minors, died in jail while awaiting trial. Years earlier, in 2008, he had pleaded guilty to state charges related to soliciting prostitution from a minor and was required to register as a s-x offender. His ties to influential figures continue to draw scrutiny as additional documents are made public.
Yale notified students enrolled in Gelernter’s computer science course that he would not be teaching class this week. The university confirmed the professor has been removed from classroom duties pending review. “The university does not condone the action taken by the professor or his described manner of providing recommendations for his students,” Yale said in a statement. “The professor’s conduct is under review. Until the review is completed, the professor will not teach his class.”
Students in the class reportedly reacted with disbelief upon learning of the Epstein emails. Kris Aziabor, a 21-year-old senior from Atkinson, New Hampshire, said many were stunned by the connection and by what was written.
“I think there was definitely an initial kind of like wave of shock, just because you know I think it just sounds ridiculous that one of your professors, like someone who is teaching you, is literally in these Epstein files,” Aziabor said. “But I think what really was the most surprising to me was how he was trying to defend his like past words and past actions.”
While there is no indication Gelernter has been accused of criminal wrongdoing related to Jeffrey Epstein, the content of the emails and his public defense of them have intensified scrutiny.
The suspension marks the latest chapter in the ongoing fallout from Epstein’s far-reaching network of associations, as institutions continue grappling with the reputational impact of resurfacing ties to the disgraced financier.
