Fordham University Rescinds Bill Cosby's Honorary Degree
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- In the latest blow for the actor and comedian, Fordham University has rescinded an honorary degree from Bill Cosby.
The university's Board of Trustees voted to take back an honorary doctor of fine arts degree given to Cosby in 2001.
This is the first time Fordham has rescinded an honorary degree, according to the Jesuit school.
The move comes after Cosby admitted having extramarital relationships with several women, including some who now accuse him of sexual assault. He has never been charged with a crime.
"As a Jesuit university, Fordham could no longer stand behind the degree it had bestowed upon Mr. Cosby, hence this unprecedented action,'' the university said.
The Board of Trustees at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin also rescinded Cosby's honorary degree on Thursday.
"By his own admission, Mr. Cosby engaged in behaviors that go entirely against our university's mission and the Guiding Values we have worked so hard to instill on our campus," Marquette President Michael Lovell and Provost Daniel Myers said in a joint statement issued following the vote.
Fordham and Marquette are the latest schools to distance themselves from the comedian, joining Central State University, Temple University and Spelman College.
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