Spelman College suspends Bill Cosby ties over sex abuse controversy
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Version 0 of 1. Spelman College has become the latest institution to distance itself from comedian and actor Bill Cosby amid allegations by women that he drugged and raped them. The move to shun Cosby comes from a school with which the comedian is intimately connected – his daughter attended university there, and in the 1980s he gave the school its largest ever single donation of $20m. Citing sources and then a brief statement from the school’s spokeswoman, the Atlanta-Journal Constitution broke the news on Sunday night. “The William and Camille Olivia Hanks Cosby Endowed Professorship was established to bring positive attention and accomplished visiting scholars to Spelman College in order to enhance our intellectual, cultural and creative life,” a school spokeswoman told the Constitution. “The current context prevents us from continuing to meet these objectives fully. Consequently, we will suspend the program until such time that the original goals can again be met.” The school faced pressure from students and other universities, many of which severed ties with the long-time education advocate around Thanksgiving. Spelman students protested against Cosby’s association with the school using the hashtag #NotMyFather, a reference to his fatherly persona on the television sitcom The Cosby Show. Bill Cosby literally dgaf RT @yemi_isms: As Spelman students, we do NOT stand with Bill Cosby. #Notmyfather @TMZ https://t.co/mFAGvAoQ5h Several colleges and universities have distanced themselves from the comedian over the last month. Freed-Hardeman University in Tennessee canceled Cosby’s scheduled appearance at the school’s annual benefit dinner a few days before Thanksgiving. The day before the holiday, the entertainer’s graduate alma mater, University of Massachusetts Amherst, cut ties with the entertainer. Cosby earned a doctorate of education from the university in the 1970s, and sat as co-chair on the school’s fundraising board, the Boston Globe reported. Cosby has also resigned from a post at Temple University, his undergraduate alma mater. Berklee College of Music in Boston also removed Cosby’s name from a scholarship award. Former supermodel Beverly Johnson came forward last week and is the latest woman to accuse Cosby of drugging her. By late November, at least 17 women had accused Cosby of drugging and sexually assaulting them. |