Spelman College Drops Bill Cosby Following Recent Rape Allegations? $20 Million Endowment Not Enough To Keep Post

Bill Cosby has just lost the support of Spelman College on account of the rape allegations made against the actor recently. The endowed professorship program at Spelman College was established in the 1980s and was named after actor Bill Cosby, as he partly funded it with his wife Camille. The couple donated $20 million to create the Cosby Chair for the Humanities.

According to Spelman College, the amount was received from the Cosby family as a unit, and not from Bill individually. A campus building was named after Camille Cosby while two of their daughters attended the college. However, the recent rape allegations against Bill Cosby caused the school to suspend the program.

Slate.com reported that more than 20 women have rape allegations against Bill Cosby spanning over a period of over four decades, from the 1960s to 2005. According to some, he drugged or sexually assaulted them, with many keeping quiet about the incidents for many years.

Spelman College announced on Sunday: "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. 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."

A former Cosby Chair and Spelman College alumna, Pearl Cleage said, "In light of the current accusations against Mr. Cosby, it's appropriate to suspend the chair while the college reevaluates the relationship with Mr. Cosby, moving forward."

Spelman College is the latest school that separated itself from Bill Cosby after the rape allegations surfaced. He was removed by High Point University in North Carolina from its national board of advisers. The Berklee School of Music decided to cease providing scholarships in Cosby's name.

Jezebel.com reported that in November 2014, Cosby resigned as an honorary co-chair of the capital campaign of the University of Massachusetts Amherst. In December, he resigned from being a board of trustee of Temple University.

Even the Navy revoked the honorary title it gave Bill Cosby in 2011. Netflix and NBC also let go of projects involving the actor.

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bill cosby
sexual harassment
rape
Spelman College
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