Oberlin College rescinds Cosby's honorary degree
By now it must be nearly routine for him but Bill Cosby lost another honorary degree as his year of shock and shame comes to an end.
Oberlin College, a prominent liberal-arts college in Ohio, quietly rescinded the honorary doctorate of humanities it had presented to Cosby in 2010, according to a statement by college president Martin Krislov on its website.
The decision was made at the Dec. 4 meeting of the Oberlin College Board of Trustees and was posted on the site on Dec. 16. The Columbus Dispatch reported it Tuesday.
"Mr. Cosby’s admitted actions are not congruent with Oberlin College’s commitment to supporting survivors of sexualized violence, as reflected in its sexual misconduct policy, and do not epitomize the high standards Oberlin considers in awarding honorary degrees," Krislov's statement said.
Starting in the fall of 2014, Cosby has been accused by some 60 women of drugging and raping them in episodes dating as far back as the 1960s. He has denied all allegations and has not been charged with a crime.
But in a deposition taken 10 years ago in a lawsuit filed by one of his accusers, Cosby admitted to obtaining drugs to give to women he sought for sex.
That admission, when it was partially released by a judge and then later leaked out in more detail earlier this year, helped accelerate the move by numerous colleges and universities associated with Cosby, a longtime education philanthropist, to revoke honorary degrees, remove his name from buildings and scholarships, force him off trustee boards and otherwise sever ties.
That list now includes Amherst, Brown, Fordham, Marquette, Spelman and Tufts. Even Temple University is under pressure from faculty and students to rescind his honorary degree, after Cosby stepped down as a trustee in the wake of the allegations.
Marquette, Fordham rescind Cosby honorary degrees
But Cosby possesses some 60 honorary degrees by one count, and not all of the issuing higher-ed institutions have moved to revoke them.
The list of accusers has been holding for some months now; virtually all of the allegations are so old Cosby can't be pursued in criminal court. Instead, the action has moved to civil courts, with at least seven lawsuits filed against him by a dozen accusers pending in several states.
Bill Cosby countersues 7 accusers
After a year of near silence as the scandal intensified, Cosby is fighting back, filing two countersuits against eight of his accusers. And he's likely to sue more.
His lawyer/spokeswoman, Monique Pressley, a member of his legal team, hinted to MSNBC last week that this is only the beginning.
“I can tell you for certain this is not our last suit,” she said.
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