Yale University is taking back the honorary degree they presented to Bill Cosby amid the sexual assault retrial that found the 80 year-old guilty of drugging and molesting Andrea Constand and a slew of other women. This is the first time the Ivy League school has ever revoked a titular plaudit in their 300 year history.
The
prestigious honour was awarded to the disgraced comedian back in 2003. "The decision is based on a court record providing clear and convincing evidence of conduct that violates fundamental standards of decency shared by all members of the Yale community, conduct that was unknown to the board at the time the degree was awarded," the school revealed in a statement.
"The board took this decision following Mr. Cosby's criminal conviction after he was afforded due process. Yale is committed to both the elimination of sexual misconduct and the adherence to due process. We reaffirm that commitment with our action today."
"We haven't previously rescinded an honorary degree," admits Yale spokesman Thomas Conroy.
The school was founded in 1701, and has since been recognized for their academic excellence and innovations fostered within their campus.
Shortly after Cosby's conviction, Carnegie Mellon University, Notre Dame and Temple University similarly took back their honorary degrees given to the former
Cosby Show star in an act of solidarity against sexual violence.
