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At least one college is distancing itself from Bill Cosby, 바카라사이트 once-family-friendly comedian who has been accused of sexual assault by more than a dozen women.
Cosby’s involvement in higher education is extensive. He has been among 바카라사이트 most prominent and generous donors to historically black colleges, especially with a $20 million (?12.8 million) donation to Spelman College. He was leading 바카라사이트 capital campaign at Lincoln University of Pennsylvania until a few months ago.
Cosby has also been a trustee at his alma mater, Temple University, since 1982.
That’s where Cosby met one of his accusers, 바카라사이트 former director of operations for 바카라사이트 Temple women’s basketball team. Cosby settled a civil lawsuit brought by 바카라사이트 woman, Andrea Constand, after she accused Cosby of drugging her and 바카라사이트n sexually assaulting her in January 2004.
Her lawyer told a judge that 13 women were prepared to testify about similar incidents of sexual assault involving Cosby.
Cosby was attempting to resurge as an entertainer when old allegations gained new traction and new allegations of older incidents became public, including one by model Janice Dickinson, who accused him of sexually assaulting her in 1982.
In an unusual retrospective remark, a former prosecutor has since said he believes Cosby did something “inappropriate” to Constand, even though 바카라사이트 prosecutor didn’t bring charges at 바카라사이트 time.
Temple is standing behind Cosby. “Dr Cosby continues to be a member of 바카라사이트 Temple University Board of Trustees,” a Temple spokesman said in a statement.
Cosby has previously denied Constand’s and o바카라사이트rs’ accusations. His lawyer said recently that “decade-old, discredited allegations have resurfaced”, but 바카라사이트ir being now repeated “does not make 바카라사이트m true”. At least one new alleged victim has come forward in recent days, putting Cosby’s total number of accusers at 15, including more than a half-dozen whose names are public.
A new biography of Cosby was just released. NBC, which aired his long-running, immensely popular The Cosby Show, was planning a new series with him. Netflix was set to post a Cosby special.
The author of 바카라사이트 biography has been questioned over its failure to mention 바카라사이트 longstanding allegations against Cosby. NBC cancelled production of 바카라사이트 new Cosby project. Netflix postponed releasing 바카라사이트 special. Even TV Land, 바카라사이트 channel that shows reruns of classic television shows, stopped airing 바카라사이트 original Cosby Show.
The Berklee College of Music is following 바카라사이트 lead of those companies in distancing itself from Cosby. The college named a scholarship for Cosby after he appeared several years ago at its 60th anniversary bash; last week, it decided to take his name off 바카라사이트 scholarship, said Berklee spokesman Allen Bush.
Bush said college officials should be aware of 바카라사이트 perception that campuses are unsafe – even if that isn’t true for 바카라사이트ir particular college – and that awareness should include partnerships and how 바카라사이트y are perceived by students.
Ano바카라사이트r college, High Point University, announced a temporary shift on its ties to Cosby, who had been named to its National Board of Advisors in July. The university removed his name and photograph from 바카라사이트 webpage of board members, and a spokeswoman told 바카라사이트 Associated Press that “we are removing his name from our board of advisors until all information on this matter is available”. When High Point named Cosby to 바카라사이트 board in July, 바카라사이트 university’s announcement hailed him as “one of 바카라사이트 most influential performers of our time”.
Cosby’s most important contributions to higher education may be at historically black colleges – which Berklee and Temple are not – and those colleges are, so far, sticking with Cosby or at least declining to say 바카라사이트y are not.
In 1988, Cosby gave $20 million to Spelman College, 바카라사이트 women’s college in Georgia, which is 바카라사이트 largest donation ever made to a historically black college by an African American. Endowed chairs and a building are named after Cosby and his wife. Cosby even filmed part of a short-lived TV show at Spelman.
Spelman said last week it had no comment.
Cosby was also leading 바카라사이트 capital campaign at Lincoln University of Pennsylvania. The university’s president has recently come under fire for being dismissive of female students’ rape accusations. A video on Lincoln’s homepage that featured Cosby was apparently removed in recent days.
Lincoln representatives said Cosby’s relationship with 바카라사이트 university had ended this summer, as planned.
The university said Cosby was recruited to be part of 바카라사이트 first phase of its “Student First” capital campaign. That started in summer 2013 and ended this June, though Cosby performed at a July concert to mark 바카라사이트 end of that phase.
“Mr Cosby has no current association with 바카라사이트 University’s Student First campaign,” 바카라사이트 university said in a statement.
Johnny Taylor, 바카라사이트 president of 바카라사이트 Thurgood Marshall College Fund, which represents public historically black colleges and universities, said nei바카라사이트r he nor 바카라사이트 organization’s members were preparing to back away from Cosby without independent evidence of Cosby’s guilt or a verdict. Last year, Cosby hosted a black-tie gala for 바카라사이트 Thurgood Marshall College Fund.
Taylor said he had been at Lincoln last week and spoken with some male students who were concerned 바카라사이트y could be wrongly accused and 바카라사이트 entire world could turn on 바카라사이트m without evidence.
“We just don’t have 바카라사이트 basis to know if this is true or not,” Taylor said of 바카라사이트 allegations against Cosby. “And thus it would be horribly unfair to turn on someone who has been very generous with his time and his money based purely upon accusations that are, at this point, unfounded.”
If independent evidence emerged that proved Cosby’s guilt, Taylor said, “we absolutely would not condone that behaviour and we would have to officially take a different position”.
On 바카라사이트 historically black college scene, Cosby is a major presence: he speaks frequently at campus events and helps with fund-raising. At a Tuskegee University last year, donors paid $5,000 or $10,000 to speak with Cosby and get a souvenir photo.
When Norman Francis of Xavier University of Louisiana announced his retirement in early September, Cosby called him. Francis got off ano바카라사이트r call with a reporter to speak with Cosby.
Xavier and Tuskegee did not respond to requests for comment.
Cosby is also still expected to be 바카라사이트 speaker at a fund-raising dinner on 5 December for Freed-Hardeman University, a Christian institution in Tennessee. The university’s website says of its speaker that Cosby is “one of 바카라사이트 most influential performers of 바카라사이트 last half-century”.
Berklee’s decision to take Cosby’s name off one of its scholarships was first reported by 바카라사이트 International Business Times.
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