Goucher College Revokes Honorary Degree Given To Bill Cosby

A Pittsburgh-area woman who appeared on television with Cosby as a teenager has sued him, claiming he defamed her after she gave an interview detailing his alleged sexual abuse in the 1980s.

Brennan Linsley/AP In her complaint obtained by the Daily News, Hill says she first met Cosby at Froggy’s Tavern in Pittsburgh when she was 16 years old and looking to break into show business.

Hill’s attorney, George Kontos, is holding a press conference Thursday to discuss the lawsuit.

Bowen further explained that Goucher proudly takes a “consistent stand” against sexual wrongdoings and had the college been aware of Cosby’s past misconducts they certainly would not have given him such an honor. He has never faced criminal charges over the claims, although he settled one civil suit with Andrea Constand out of court in 2006. UMass-Amherst cut all ties with Cosby (who is an alum of the school) in November of a year ago, and he voluntarily stepped down from the board of trustees at Temple University a couple weeks later. “Once there, Cosby would hand Renita a glass with a few form of liquid in it and instruct her to ‘drink that, ‘” the lawsuit said.

She relented and, on one occasion when she didn’t fully lose consciousness remembers Cosby kissing and groping her, as well as angering Cosby by complaining about his “cigar breath”, the lawsuit said.

The lawsuit says Hill is seeking damages for intentional infliction of emotional distress, defamation and false light.

Tufts University in Medford, Mass., said it withdrew an honorary doctorate of arts it conferred on Cosby in 2000, along with an award given in 2011 for excellence in children’s media.

That message noted that “Mr. Cosby has demonstrated a lack of character and integrity that clearly does not represent the values to which our university is committed and for which he was honored”.

Tufts’ decision comes in the wake of many other schools revoking honorary degrees from Cosby, including Goucher College, Brown University, Fordham University, Marquette University, Baylor and Pennsylvania Wilkes University.

Cosby received the honorary degree in 2001.

Since the accusations resurfaced previous year, multiple colleges and universities have removed Cosby – long known for his educational philanthropy – from boards of trustees, stripped buildings and scholarships of his name, and rescinded honorary degrees.