Bill Cosby says his black media comments 'misconstrued,' rips Michael Eric Dyson

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Bill Cosby hasn’t said much about the growing number of allegations against him.

But he would like to clarify one thing — he says his “black media” quote has been “misconstrued in a way that can only call into question the fair-mindedness of certain commentators.”

The statement was delivered Thursday evening by Cosby’s attorney John P. Schmitt and posted on NBCNews.com and several other news outlets.

It references a story earlier this week where Cosby was quoted as saying he expects “black media to uphold the standards of excellence in journalism” and “…go in with a neutral mind.”

It’s not just black media, Cosby insists:

To be clear, Mr. Cosby did not ask for special treatment from the African-American media. To the contrary, he asked that they adhere to journalistic standards and approach the story in a neutral manner – without a predisposition on either side of the story. It is of course what we would expect of all media.

Cosby wasn’t finished. The statement also takes MSNBC political analyst Michael Eric Dyson to task for criticizing Cosby’s black media quote.

Dyson referenced the growing number of allegations against the comedian on-air this week, suggesting Cosby is the “kind of man who will rape an entire black community, poor black people who are vulnerable before him, using his powerful foot to clump down their necks.”

Cosby’s lawyer called the remarks “reckless” and “mean-spirited.” The section related to Dyson reads:

Dyson, who has been a persistent critic of Mr. Cosby’s call for responsibility in the African-American community, has stated that Mr. Cosby’s request for neutrality is part of what he calls Mr. Cosby’s ‘rape [of the] entire black community,'” wrote Schmitt. Mr. Cosby understands that Mr. Dyson does not agree with Mr. Cosby’s views, but such mean-spirited and reckless rhetoric cannot go unchallenged by responsible people and journalists.

The statement comes in the wake of the latest allegation against Cosby — that he drugged and petted a then-21-year-old woman in the late 80s. A woman who would only identify herself as Lisa detailed the alleged abuse on Dr. Phil Thursday.