Five Colleges Rescind Cosby’s Honorary Degrees After Guilty Verdict

Temple University, Johns Hopkins, Carnegie Mellon, Notre Dame, and Wesleyan University have all rescinded Bill Cosby’s honorary degrees after he was found guilty of three counts of aggravated indecent assault Thursday. “As a university, we stand in firm opposition to sexual assault, whether on our campuses or elsewhere,” Johns Hopkins spokesman told The Baltimore Sun. “This decision underscores that opposition.” Hopkins gave Cosby an honorary degree in 2004. Carnegie Mellon, which awarded Cosby with an honorary degree in 2007, posted a statement on its website saying the school “will not tolerate sexual violence, intimate partner violence, stalking or sexual harassment. These acts are against the law and violate our core values.” After the guilty verdict, Boston College announced it would not revoke the honorary degree given to Cosby in 1996 because the school has “a policy against rescinding them.” According to Deadline, Ohio State, Brown, Tufts, Fordham University, Baylor, Oberlin College, University of San Francisco, and Boston University all rescinded Cosby’s honorary degrees prior to the guilty verdict.