Bill Cosby has resigned from his position on Temple University’s board of trustees after serving for 32 years, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported today. Statements released by Cosby and the Temple board were short and vague:
“I have always been proud of my association with Temple University,” Cosby said in a statement, released by the university. “I have always wanted to do what would be in the best interests of the university and its students. As a result, I have tendered my resignation from the Temple University Board of Trustees.”
The board of trustees said it has accepted the resignation and “thanks him for his service to the university.”
A total of 20 women have publicly accused Cosby of sexually assaulting or raping them. The chairman of Temple’s board, Patrick O’Connor, defended Cosby against a civil lawsuit filed by one of those accusers, Andrea Constand, who was herself a Temple employee.
From the Associated Press:
Several other colleges have also severed their ties with Cosby in recent weeks. The Berklee College of Music will no longer award a scholarship in Cosby’s name, and the University of Massachusetts-Amherst had him step down as honorary co-chairman of their $300 million fundraising campaign.
The AP says records indicate that Cosby only attended one meeting of the 36-member board in his three-plus decades of service.
