UPenn revokes honorary degrees for Bill Cosby and Steve Wynn
The Ivy League institution rescinds one of their highest symbolic honors from the two former donors.
The University of Pennsylvania has distanced itself from two major donors—Bill Cosby and Steve Wynn. Both men have been accused by multiple women of sexual assault.
The University of Pennsylvania has distanced itself from two major donors—Bill Cosby and Steve Wynn. Both men have been accused by multiple women of sexual assault.
“It is incumbent on all of us to address these issues wherever and whenever we find that they affect our extended community,” the school said in a joint statement released by the president, Amy Gutmann, and the chair of its board of trustees, David Cohen, the Associated Press reported.
The university has not rescinded an honorary in a hundred years, but because of the “credible” allegations against the two men, the Ivy League institution felt it had to act.
While the university had previously been reluctant to rescind Cosby’s honorary degree, the statement said that the decision concerning Wynn “made it also clear that the multiple and highly credible charges involving Bill Cosby warranted the same action.”
READ MORE: JUDGE STE RETRIAL IN COSBY CASE
Wynn, a former casino mogul, resigned on Saturday from his position as finance chairman of the Republican National Committee after several women came forward with their allegations of sexual assault and harassment. Wynn has continued to deny the allegations, however.
And Cosby has been under fire for accusations of sexual assault from dozens of women.
The Andrea Constand trial
An upcoming April trial will see Cosby once again facing accusations from accuser Andrea Constand that he drugged and assaulted her in 2004. Cosby’s argument in his defense was that the sexual relationship between himself and Constand was consensual.
However, the jury deadlocked in that first trial, resulting in a mistrial.
An unidentified juror told ABC News shortly after that, at some point during their 52 hour deliberation, jurors voted 10-2 in Cosby’s guilt, specifically because they believed he  digitally penetrating Constand without obtaining her consent. The same 10-2 vote was also reached in his guilt for giving her drugs or alcohol with the intention of impairing her.
With the retrial coming up in just a few months, it seems the once beloved comedian is still making questionable decisions, recently telling a reporter not to associate him with the growing #MeToo movement.
