Brown University has revoked the honourary doctorate it awarded to Bill Cosby as the comedian and actor faces allegations that he sexually assaulted more than 40 women, the Ivy League school said on Tuesday.
In a statement released online, the university explained its decision:
“In receiving that degree, Mr. Cosby was specifically honoured in the citation for his “ability to integrate [his] personal character into fictional personae that simulate real life while embracing such cherished American values as honesty, fair play, love of family, and respect for humanity... It has become clear, by his own admission in legal depositions that became public this summer, that Mr. Cosby has engaged in conduct with women that is contrary to the values of Brown and the qualities for which he was honoured by the University in 1985.
Brown is the third US university in the past week to revoke honourary degrees to Cosby, best known for his role as Cliff Huxtable on ‘The Cosby Show’, which was wildly popular in the 1980s.
Reuters and IOL