Bill Cosby Has His Doctorate Degree Revoked From Fordham Amid Sexual Assault Scandal
It’s the first time Fordham University has even revoked an honorary degree given, but Thursday the university announced they would be taking back the honorary doctorate degree given to Bill Cosby in 2001.
According to Time, the university Board of Trustees unanimously decided to revoke the degree amid the ongoing allegations that Bill Cosby drugged and sexually assaulted multiple women throughout his career. The university had originally awarded Cosby the degree for helping to enhance black representation in American television.
Fordham University rescinds Bill Cosby's honorary degree: http://t.co/8ksjqNLDjQ pic.twitter.com/WiwE2YaLiJ
— Mashable (@mashable) September 24, 2015
The idea has first been brought up by Fordham president Joseph M. McShane after he introduced a motion to take back the doctorate, according to the Wrap. In a letter to students and faculty of the university, McShane announced the decision, saying that extensive conversations were carried with several campus leaders and faculty who agreed with the decision.
“By his own admission, Mr. Cosby’s sexual exploitation of women was premeditated and ongoing. Equally appalling is his longtime strategy of denigrating the reputations of women who accused him of such actions.
“That Mr. Cosby was willing to drug and rape women for his sexual gratification, and further damage those same women’s reputations and careers to obscure his guilt, hurt not only his victims, but all women, and is beyond the pale.”
The letter concluded by explaining that as a Jesuit institution, Fordham University could no longer stand by the doctorate degree awarded to Bill Cosby.
Fordham Univ. is rescinding Bill Cosby's honorary degree pic.twitter.com/FNd4EXXsbl
— Sara Gates (@saramgates) September 24, 2015
As previously reported by the Inquisitr, Bill Cosby has been accused of rape or sexual assault by dozens of women, many of whom said Cosby had drugged them first. Bill Cosby has continued to deny the allegations, but an uncovered deposition from 2005 tells a different tale.
The deposition shows that Bill Cosby admitted to using drugs and his fame to convince women to have sex with him. Bill Cosby also said he had paid women to keep quiet after sex in order to keep the affairs from his wife, Camille Cosby.
Bill Cosby also said he did not drug and molest Andrea Constand, a Temple University employee. Instead, he was able to interpret her “nonverbal cues for sexual consent” and called her a liar.
According to the 62-page transcript, Bill Cosby said he offered to pay for Constand’s education. Cosby also admitted to paying another woman he met in 1976 and, through his agent, gave money to a woman with whom he had sex so Camille Cosby would not find out.
Bill Cosby has admitted to having sex with many women and to obtaining Quaaludes to use during his sexual escapades. However, he denies the claims that the relationships were not consensual. Bill Cosby has never been officially charged with a crime.
[Image via Matt Archer / Getty Images]
