By Lucy Cobbs '14Columbia University professor David Epstein was charged with third degree incest with his daughter on Thursday, according to the Columbia Daily Spectator. The sexual relationship between 46-year-old Epstein and his 24-year-old daughter had apparently lasted for three years and was consensual. An exchange of “twisted text messages” between the two was discovered, said the New York Daily News.
Epstein, now on administrative leave, is married to another Columbia political science professor, Sharyn O’Halloran. A 2008 Spectator article about academic couples who “bring love to work” featured the pair. However, Epstein’s Facebook relationship status was recently updated to “single.”
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11 comments:
LOVE = LOVE!
(And before you cite birth defects, first ban marriage between people with genetic diseases, and ban childbirth by women over 40, both of which are much more likely to have birth defects than the current broad definition of incest. Then we'll talk.)
OK, I've banned marriage between people with birth defects, let's talk. I think you can get away with saying LOVE=LOVE when it comes to even a brother and a sister, but when one participant had parental authority over the other for 18 years maybe not.
Stupid assumption anonymous. 24 year old women know who they want to sleep with, and why. My thirteen years on the internet has taught me there is a lot more incest going on than people think. No ones business but theirs.
This reminds me of the Prince's own article, "Incest is best."
http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/2006/02/23/14591/
Wow, are you people for real?! Whether or not she is of age, this is a man taking advantage of a position of power in order to abuse his daughter (whether or not she thinks she's "choosing" to sleep with him). And I would bet this, or some unhealthy abusive behavior, started before she became "of age"...
As an incest survivor I find this situation deeply disturbing. I hope the concerned individuals get the help they need.
"24 year old women know who they want to sleep with, and why."
This is not some 24 year old woman.
This is the man's daughter, who viewed him as an authority figure and a parent. Your thirteen years on the internet are misspent.
@the commenters who argued that this man is abusing a position of power/authority:
As far as I know, it would not have been illegal if it were "just" his stepdaughter, even if he had raised her for 24 years, or would it?
(Oh and btw I am not saying I don´t find the whole thing deeply disturbing)
I'm not defending David's actions, but i'm not sure that those of you who are assuming he "raised" her or has been a signficant part of her life are correct. This daughter is not Sharyn's and most of those who know him professionally were unaware he even had an elder daughter. I think it's equally likely that he and this daughter were estranged until a few years ago.
As an incest "survivor", dear old dad here is an a-hole, in my opinion. He's twice her age. He's her father. She was barely out of her teens when it allegedly started (doubtful!) and who knows what sick influence this jerk has had on her during her formative years. There is no meaningful equality or balance of power in this relationship. I really really doubt the sex started three years ago. I'm willing to bet my pay check he's been sexualizing their relationship for a long time.
Yeah I think this is disgusting, but what gives the government the right to outlaw relations between consenting adults. You may want to say a father daughter situation is different. But what about a brother and sister. That would be illegal as well.
So once we get this behavior legalized the next step will be to ensure these people have equal protection under the law and are allowed to marry...
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