TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (Michigan News Source) — The latest release of federal court records tied to Jeffrey Epstein doesn’t rewrite the history of his crimes, but it does widen the map, briefly placing Michigan on the timeline.
Among thousands of documents made public by the U.S. Department of Justice is a civil lawsuit alleging that one of Epstein’s earliest known victims first crossed paths with him at Interlochen Center for the Arts in the mid-1990s. The northern Michigan summer program is located near Traverse City.
The lawsuit, filed in 2020 and later settled, was brought by a woman identified as Jane Doe. She alleged she was 13 when Epstein and associate Ghislaine Maxwell approached her during the camp session, presenting themselves as patrons eager to support young artists. The complaint claims that contact later developed into years of manipulation and abuse across multiple states.
Epstein died in federal custody in 2019 before facing trial. The lawsuit was resolved through the Epstein Victims’ Compensation Program, which did not require findings of guilt.
Interlochen officials have said they found no record of complaints involving Epstein during internal reviews conducted after his 2008 conviction and again following his later arrest. The institution acknowledged that Epstein donated to the school in the 1990s but said all recognition was removed once his criminal conduct became public.
The filing does not accuse the camp itself of wrongdoing.