Remove the Wexner Name from Ohio State University Buildings

Recent signers:
Briley Wilson and 19 others have signed recently.

The Issue

Every day, survivors walk onto Ohio State's campus and into its hospital — past the Wexner Medical Center, the Les Wexner Football Complex, the Wexner Center for the Arts — and are reminded of a man whose financial entanglement with Jeffrey Epstein is no longer deniable or ignorable. For students, patients, nurses, and former athletes who have already survived trauma at the hands of institutions that failed them, that daily confrontation is not a small thing. It is a weight.

Les Wexner has never been charged with a crime. But the facts are documented: Epstein served as his financial adviser for years, co-funded the football complex that still bears Wexner's name, and was deeply embedded in the Wexner family's financial decisions. For survivors of sexual abuse — including former Ohio State athletes who endured the university's own sweeping abuse scandal — the continued display of that name signals something painful and clear: that donor dollars outlast accountability.

Ohio State has a real opportunity here. Not to rewrite history, or to pretend the money wasn't taken, or to punish a man for crimes he hasn't been convicted of — but to listen to the people most affected and to lead with moral clarity. Great universities are not just buildings and endowments. They are communities. And right now, a significant part of this community is telling Ohio State leadership, loudly and consistently, that they cannot feel safe or respected while Wexner's name towers over the places where they heal, compete, and learn.

We are calling on Ohio State President Ravi Bellamkonda and the university's Board of Trustees to move forward with removing the Wexner name from all university buildings and facilities. The review process exists for moments exactly like this one. Use it. Honor the survivors who have asked you to act. Show that Ohio State's values are not for sale — and that when the community speaks, its leaders listen.

Sign this petition to stand with survivors and call on Ohio State to lead with integrity.

A
Petition Advocatealyssa g

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Recent signers:
Briley Wilson and 19 others have signed recently.

The Issue

Every day, survivors walk onto Ohio State's campus and into its hospital — past the Wexner Medical Center, the Les Wexner Football Complex, the Wexner Center for the Arts — and are reminded of a man whose financial entanglement with Jeffrey Epstein is no longer deniable or ignorable. For students, patients, nurses, and former athletes who have already survived trauma at the hands of institutions that failed them, that daily confrontation is not a small thing. It is a weight.

Les Wexner has never been charged with a crime. But the facts are documented: Epstein served as his financial adviser for years, co-funded the football complex that still bears Wexner's name, and was deeply embedded in the Wexner family's financial decisions. For survivors of sexual abuse — including former Ohio State athletes who endured the university's own sweeping abuse scandal — the continued display of that name signals something painful and clear: that donor dollars outlast accountability.

Ohio State has a real opportunity here. Not to rewrite history, or to pretend the money wasn't taken, or to punish a man for crimes he hasn't been convicted of — but to listen to the people most affected and to lead with moral clarity. Great universities are not just buildings and endowments. They are communities. And right now, a significant part of this community is telling Ohio State leadership, loudly and consistently, that they cannot feel safe or respected while Wexner's name towers over the places where they heal, compete, and learn.

We are calling on Ohio State President Ravi Bellamkonda and the university's Board of Trustees to move forward with removing the Wexner name from all university buildings and facilities. The review process exists for moments exactly like this one. Use it. Honor the survivors who have asked you to act. Show that Ohio State's values are not for sale — and that when the community speaks, its leaders listen.

Sign this petition to stand with survivors and call on Ohio State to lead with integrity.

A
Petition Advocatealyssa g

The Decision Makers

Elizabeth Kessler
Elizabeth Kessler
Ohio State Board of Trustees
John Zeiger
John Zeiger
Ohio State Board of Trustees
Ravi Bellamkonda
Ravi Bellamkonda
Ohio State President

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Petition created on April 3, 2026