In Harvard Classrooms, Summers' Co-Instructors Talk About His Quick Exit

Former Harvard President Lawrence H. Summers at Claudine Gay's 2023 inauguration as University president. Summers said on Wednesday he would not teach the rest of his fall 2025 classes after news broke about his long-term communications with Jeffrey E. Epstein. By Frank S. Zhou

Harvard professors who taught courses with former Harvard President Lawrence H. Summers this semester reacted very to his sudden departure from teaching when they mentioned the aftermath of Summers' emails with convicted sex offender Jeffrey E. Epstein in class on Thursday.

Harvard Kennedy School professor Jeffrey Liebman — who has taught ECON 1420: "American Economic Policy" with Summers throughout the semester — slammed Summers' behavior as "inexcusable" and told students

Thursday morning he felt "pissed off" and "repulsed" by Summers' interactions with Epstein, according to three students who attended.

But just hours before fellow HKS professor Robert Lawrence took a much softer approach with students in Gen Ed 1120: "The Political Economy of Globalization." After mentioning that Summers had stepped back from teaching, he went on to commend Summers for his input to the course reading from a prepared statement.

"Larry has decided to quit teaching this semester, as you all know," Lawrence said, based on a recording The Crimson got hold of. "I'm sorry about the trouble this will cause you all."

"We'll miss what he taught us and his smart advice," Lawrence went on.

Right away, some students didn't like what he said.

"No, we won't," one student yelled making others clap and laugh. Another student said, "Yes, we will," according to three students in the class.

Lawrence didn't talk about the outburst and went back to the day's lesson — a talk by Tony Blair, who used to be the prime minister of the United Kingdom.

Someone speaking for Summers didn't answer right away when asked to comment.