John ‘Jack’ Horner, a celebrated paleontologist and technical advisor for the Jurassic Park film series, no longer holds a position as a lecturer at Chapman University. His departure follows his appearance in the recently released U.S. Department of Justice documents tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Connection to Epstein Files Sparks Controversy

The separation was confirmed by Bob Hitchcock, a Chapman University spokesperson, who stated that Horner is no longer affiliated with the university. ‘Jack Horner is no longer with the university,’ Hitchcock said. ‘In keeping with standard employment practices, we cannot provide any more information beyond that.’

The university has not clarified whether Horner resigned or if his employment was terminated. However, the decision follows the release of the Epstein files, which revealed that Horner visited Epstein’s ranch in New Mexico on two occasions while he was a professor at Montana State University.

Detailed email exchanges between Horner and Epstein’s assistant reveal that he sought academic funding for his DinoChicken project, an initiative aimed at genetically engineering a chicken to exhibit dinosaur-like traits. Horner described his experience at Epstein’s ranch in a 2012 email, noting that ‘Jeffrey and the girls were very gracious hosts.’

Horner Acknowledges Poor Judgment

Horner has publicly addressed the controversy, admitting that his decision to accept funding from Epstein reflected ‘extremely poor judgment.’ However, he stated that he did not observe anything ‘weird, inappropriate, or out of the ordinary’ during his visits to the ranch.

He also expressed regret over referring to Epstein’s hosts as ‘girls,’ acknowledging that they may have been victims of Epstein. ‘I now recognize that they could have been victims,’ Horner said in a recent statement.

Following the release of the documents, Chapman University investigated Horner’s connection to the Epstein files. In the wake of his departure, the university removed content from its website referencing Horner, including information about the dinosaur lab he founded in 2022.

Impact on Campus and Community

The controversy has spread across Chapman University’s campus in Orange, with students and faculty discussing the implications of Horner’s association with Epstein. Edsel Tinoco, a Chapman freshman majoring in creative writing, first learned of the connection through the Panther, the university’s student newspaper.

‘I was pretty shocked,’ Tinoco said. ‘There’s been a lot of talk around it in my classes and on Instagram posts.’ A professor at the university also pointed out Horner’s name in a campus discussion.

While Horner’s appearance in the Epstein files does not constitute criminal wrongdoing in itself, the revelations have sparked a reckoning within the paleontological community. DinoCon, a British dinosaur convention, has banned academics who engaged with members of the Epstein organization after his conviction from attending its events.

Horner, who recently taught courses on Darwin’s evolutionary theory and the role of dinosaurs in science and media, joined Chapman University in 2016 as a presidential fellow. His move to the university followed his retirement from Montana State University, which was partly influenced by a previous controversy involving his marriage to an undergraduate student.

As the debate over academic integrity and ethical funding continues, the broader implications of Horner’s association with Epstein remain under scrutiny. The situation highlights the complex interplay between academic pursuits and the ethical responsibilities of public figures.