Stetson Law alumni ask school to strip Pam Bondi of alumni awards, partially due to Epstein Files conduct
“Stetson University College of Law alumni are calling on their school to revoke multiple honors awarded to former U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, citing what they describe as her evasive and unprofessional conduct during a congressional hearing on the Jeffrey Epstein files.
The alumni coalition, which gathered 384 signatures for a letter to the dean in less than a week, has given Stetson a deadline of 9 a.m. Tuesday to respond. At time of publishing, the school has declined to comment.
The effort is being led by Johnny Bardine, a family law attorney and 2006 Stetson graduate who has practiced in the St. Petersburg area for approximately 20 years. Bardine said he was moved to act after watching Bondi testify before the House Judiciary Committee on Feb. 11, when Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., pressed her on whether underage girls had attended parties where President Donald Trump and Epstein were both present.
"Were there any underage girls at that party, or at any party that Trump attended with Jeffrey Epstein?" Lieu asked.
Bondi replied: "This is so ridiculous and that they are trying to deflect from all the great things Donald Trump has done. There is no evidence that Donald Trump has committed a crime."
Bardine called the response a failure of professional standards. "The files had been sloppily redacted to expose potential victims and protect potential predators," he said. "I found her intentionally deflective. Her temperament in terms of professionalism was bad."
In a letter to Stetson's dean, Bardine wrote: "If our alma mater is to remain true to its values, it cannot remain silent when the conduct of one of its most visible graduates, particularly in the nation's highest law enforcement office, appears to run counter to those principles."
The alumni are asking the school to take three specific actions: revoke Bondi's Ben Willard Award, which recognizes public service; remove her Distinguished Alumna Award; and rescind an honorary Doctorate of Laws degree conferred in 2013 — the same year Bondi delivered Stetson's spring commencement address.
Stetson University published that some of her comments included: "As Florida's first female attorney general, I'm here to tell you that you can do anything you want to do, and don't let anyone stand in your way."
Bondi, who earned her J.D. from Stetson in 1990, was the first Stetson Law graduate to serve as U.S. Attorney General. She was sworn in to that post in February 2025, capping a legal career that began at the Hillsborough County State Attorney's Office, where she worked as a prosecutor for 18 years, specializing in child abuse cases.
In 2010, she became Florida's first female attorney general, serving until 2019.
A fourth-generation Floridian, Bondi grew up in Temple Terrace, where her father was reportedly the mayor in the 1970s. She also holds a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from the University of Florida, earned in 1987.
Trump announced Bondi's departure from the Justice Department on Thursday, applauding her loyalty. Yet, CBS News reports she was dismissed due to her handling of the Epstein Files and failure to prosecute certain political rivals.
Bardine said the stakes extend beyond Bondi herself. "The former attorney general doesn't represent us. Doesn't represent the Stetson community. Doesn't represent any Florida lawyer I know," he said. "We have to be brimming with pride when that happens. When they don't — when they fail so miserably to meet even the minimum of standards of an ethical attorney — I think it's incumbent upon the institutions to lead."
Stetson has not responded to requests for comment.“
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