Wesleyan University's board of trustees has voted to rescind Bill Cosby's honorary degree after the comedian was found guilty on sexual assault charges.
Cosby was convicted earlier this month on three counts of aggravated assault related to an encounter with a former Temple University employee, Andrea Constand, in his Cheltenham home in Pennsylvania. He was accused of drugging and molesting Constand in 2004. During the trial, five other women testified to also having been drugged and assaulted by Cosby.
Wesleyan University President Michael Roth announced soon after Cosby was convicted that he intended to ask the Board of Trustees to revoke the honorary degree Wesleyan awarded Cosby in 1987.
A statement from Wesleyan said the board voted unanimously today to revoke Cosby's degree.
[NATL] Bill Cosby Through the Years
In June 2016, the University of Connecticut revoked an honorary degree awarded to Cosby in 1996. It was the first time the school had ever rescinded an honorary degree.
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The court case has destroyed the legacy of the once influential comedian. He was originally charged in 2015, but the initial trial ended in a mistrial when the jury deadlocked.
Cosby now faces up to 10 years in prison on each count. A sentencing date has not been announced. His attorneys said they plan to appeal the verdict.
