Jesuit university rescinds 2012 degree awarded to Bill Cosby

BU gave Cosby an honorary doctorate of humane letters at the school’s graduation ceremonies in May 2014 and in 2013, he was the commencement speaker at BU’s School of Education graduation.

The University of San Francisco’s Board of Trustees has voted unanimously to rescind an honorary degree awarded to comedian Bill Cosby in 2012 in light of continuing allegations of sexual assault.

Universities continue to distance themselves from Bill Cosby. She says Cosby admitted in legal depositions that he’d engaged in conduct with women “contrary to the values of Brown”.

Dating back to the first Commencement in 1769, the Board of Fellows of the Brown Corporation has bestowed honorary degrees upon individuals of distinction and accomplishment, recognizing their leadership and contribution to society in a myriad of fields and disciplines. He has never been charged with a crime.

During Wednesday’s edition of NewsOne Now, Roland Martin and panel discussed Brown, Marquette, and Fordham’s decision to strip Cosby of his degrees and if these attempts to erase the embattled comedian from history are overkill. His lawyers have steadfastly denied wrongdoing by the 78-year-old entertainer.

Bernard continued, “Bill Cosby is a Black man. There is still in this country … this fear of Black men with White women in a consensual relationship and they have decided that it hurts their brand, so to speak, to give him (Bill Cosby) the honorary degree.”

This degree was awarded to Cosby in 2001.

“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 statement read.

Cosby’s lawyer, John P. Schmitt, had particularly strong words for Fordham’s handling of the action, calling the university’s statement “so irresponsible as to shock the conscience” adding that it “grossly mischaracterizes both Mr. Cosby’s actions and his deposition testimony, in language more befitting a tabloid journal rather than a respected institution of higher learning”.