FIRST Founder's Reported Epstein Ties Leave LI Branch Of Youth Robotics Organization 'Shocked And Dismayed'

LONG ISLAND, NY — The Long Island branch of a national robotics education nonprofit was left "shocked and dismayed' this week after the resignation of the organization's founder amid the release of files linking him to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

On Mar. 11, FIRST Robotics chair Laurie Leshin announced that Dean Kamen, the founder of the company, had voluntarily resigned from the company’s board of directors after Department of Justice records surfaced that tied him to Epstein. In her statement, Leshin said Kamen, “established the foundation for the organization’s profound impact, and his many years of service are greatly appreciated.”

A Rockville Centre native, Kamen became a household name as the inventor of the Segway, and for patenting advancements in prosthetic limb technology. He founded FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in 1989 as a company that, "prepares young people for the future through a suite of welcoming, team-based robotics programs for ages 5-18. Its mission, FIRST says, is "to provide life-changing robotics programs that give young people the skills, confidence, and resilience to build a better world."

In a statement, FIRST Long Island said it was “shocked and dismayed” at the news that Kamen was connected to Epstein. The focus going forward, a FIRST Long Island representative said, would be on the students it teaches.

"FIRST Long Island is shocked and dismayed to hear of Dean Kamen’s connection to Jeffrey Epstein. FIRST Long Island operates as a volunteer-run independent 501c3 organization tasked with providing FIRST programs on Long Island,” FIRST Long Island Spokesman John Zaher said. “At FIRST Long Island, we continue to focus on the programs and the kids. This season, we held over 20 events throughout all the levels! We thank the many mentors and volunteers who have remained dedicated to the mission and who continue to inspire us every day."

Wednesday, a search for Kamen's name in the Department of Justice’s Epstein library returned 718 results. Some of those are direct emails between Epstein and Kamen's administrative assistants, others include an April2013 email from Epstein to Richard Branson saying, “Dean Kamen is staying with me sat , come visit, it is long overdue.” In December, New Hampshire Public Radio reported the release of photos of Kamen with Epstein and Virgin Group Chair Richard Branson.

Kamen was quoted in a December NHPR report saying, “I have no specific memory of this photo or any other interaction with Ghislaine Maxwell and had only limited interactions with Jeffrey Epstein. I hope that it goes without saying that those interactions in no way involved any wrong-doing and, in hindsight with what I now know, I regret even those limited interactions. Again, I have no knowledge of any of the horrific actions of Jeffrey Epstein (or Ghislaine Maxwell) other than what I have learned from news reports."

In her statement, Leshin said Kamen, “acknowledged errors in judgment by not avoiding any connection with Jeffrey Epstein and his associates after Epstein’s conviction in 2008.”

An independent review by the FIRST board, Leshin said, found no evidence of misconduct by Kamen. To date, the FIRST founder has not been charged with or convicted of criminal activity related to Epstein. FIRST and Kamen could not be reached for comment on this story.

“The FIRST community is strong. We will remain focused on our mission and on the millions of people around the world who have been inspired by FIRST’s transformative activities,” Leshin wrote. “The Board will continue to support FIRST and celebrate its exceptional community of teams, mentors, and volunteers.”

A week after Kamen's resignation, FIRST Long Island held its Long Island Regional competition from Mar. 18 to Mar. 21 at Hofstra University, bringing together robotics teams from across Long Island to compete in the discipline. Teams from Kings Park, Southapmton and Southold punched their ticket to the FIRST Championship, which will begin Apr. 29 in Houston, TX.