‘Jurassic Park’ paleontologist to leave university amid Epstein fallout

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The Hill's Headlines — March 4, 2026

The Hill's Headlines — March 4, 2026

Jack Horner, a paleontologist known for consulting on the “Jurassic Park” movies, has left his position with Chapman University after his name appeared in the files released surrounding the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.  

“Jack Horner is no longer with the university,” a spokesperson with Chapman said. The California school would not say whether Horner left on his own terms or was fired.  

Horner’s emails with Epstein in recently released files dated to 2012 and included a visit to Epstein’s ranch in New Mexico while he was asking for funding from the multi-millionaire.  

“In retrospect, I regret that I did not investigate Epstein’s background beyond what was commonly known at the time, something that I had never done with other potential donors. That is a lesson learned!” Horner said in a statement to the BBC.

“When the full extent of Epstein’s crimes became public in 2019, I reflected back upon my limited interactions with him. Nothing I observed or experienced during my short stay at the ranch indicated or suggested the conduct that came to light,” he added. 

Epstein was first convicted of soliciting a minor for prostitution in Florida back in 2008.  

After his visit to the ranch, an email from Horner said, “Jeffrey and the girls were very gracious hosts… Please give my best to Jeffrey and the girls.”  

Horner later said the four women he mentioned in the email were “introduced to me as college students,” according to the BBC.  

Horner served as the inspiration for the character of Alan Grant in Michael Crichton’s 1990 book “Jurassic Park,” according to Entertainment Weekly. He later consulted on all seven films in the franchise.

He is the latest academic to have been entangled in the Epstein files, with multiple schools across the country investigating professors and administrators.

Last week, former Harvard President Larry Summers, who is also a former Treasury secretary, resigned from his remaining positions at the university amid criticism over his ties to Epstein.

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