The University of South Carolina Board of Trustees revoked Bill Cosby’s honorary degree in a unanimous decision Friday afternoon.
The decision comes much later than other institutions who have awarded Cosby an honorary degree, and marks the first time that USC has revoked an honorary degree. The board did not want to react hastily as to allow due process to work in the courts, according to a statement from John C. von Lehe, Jr., Chairman, University of South Carolina Board of Trustees.
“The criminal acts of which Bill Cosby has been convicted are repugnant,” said von Lehe. “We stand with all survivors and recognize the courage of everyone willing to come forward to make known acts of sexual assault.”
After the vote, von Lehe asked Leah B. Moody, chairwoman of the Academic Affairs and Faculty Liaison Committee, to review USC’s honorary degree policies and recommend to the full Board a formal criteria and process for revoking an honorary degree.