FORDHAM — Fordham University's Board of Trustees unanimously voted to revoke comedian Bill Cosby's honorary degree after he confirmed many of the sexual assault allegations made against him, university officials said on Thursday.
"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," the board statement reads.
"As a Jesuit university, Fordham could no longer stand behind the degree it had bestowed upon Mr. Cosby, hence this unprecedented action," university officials said.
It is the first time the university rescinded an honorary degree, officials said.
Cosby — who has been accused by at least 35 women of rape, sexual misconduct or drug-induced assaults — received an honorary doctor of fine arts degree from Fordham University in 2001.
The world famous actor/comedian, who is now 78 years old, received the degree because of "the significant role he played in breaking the color barrier in American television and popular culture as well as his position as an inspirational figure for millions of African Americans", the board trustees said.
But at the time, there was no public awareness of rape allegations against him, the board pointed out.
Recently released court documents show that in 2005, Cosby admitted to buying sedatives to give them to young women he wanted to have sex with, but he never admitted to actually drugging any of his accusers, according to reports.
"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," Fordham board of trustees' statement read.
Cosby's lawyer, Martin Singer, did not immediately return a request for comment.
