Power

Temple University Facing Scrutiny for Cosby Ties, Title IX Sexual Assault Complaints

Bill Cosby has been an active member of the Temple community and a significant donor, and is a member of the school's board of trustees. Temple is also one of 55 colleges under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education for allegedly mishandling students' sexual assault claims under Title IX.

Bill Cosby has been an active member of the Temple community and a significant donor, and is a member of the school's board of trustees. Temple is also one of 55 colleges under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education for allegedly mishandling students' sexual assault claims under Title IX. Randy Miramontez / Shutterstock.com

Bill Cosby has donated millions and been involved with myriad charitable organizations over his decades-long career. Yet few organizations are publicly distancing themselves in the wake of sexual assault allegations made against the comedian and former sitcom star, which have both increased in number and received a greater amount of media attention in recent weeks.

At least 13 women have said publicly that Cosby sexually assaulted them, including several who have come forward over the past week alone, while nine others have made similar allegations anonymously.

A defiant Cosby has largely responded to these allegations with silence.

The allegations have led some larger companies to cancel projects and appearances tied to Cosby: NBC cancelled a comedy special that was under development, and TV Land will stop airing reruns of The Cosby Show, while Netflix indefinitely postponed a Cosby stand-up comedy special.

But colleges and charitable organizations that are affiliated with Cosby have, for the most part, not responded in the same way.

This is perhaps most notable at Temple University, home to the Camille and Bill Cosby Scholarship in Science and where Cosby has in other ways been an active member of the campus community, a significant donor, and a member of the school’s board of trustees. As the Washington Post reported this weekend, Andrea Constand, the school’s former basketball operations director, who had gotten to know Cosby in his capacity as a supporter of the school’s basketball team, sued Cosby in 2005, alleging sexual assault; she is the only person so far to file suit against Cosby for sexual assault.

Constand and Cosby settled their case, which at the time “largely made the Cosby story go away,” as the Post reports.

The topic of sexual assault at Temple has recently resurfaced for a very different reason: Temple is one of 55 colleges under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education for allegedly mishandling students’ sexual assault claims, which is a violation of the Title IX federal statute. Temple was cited for a Title IX violation in 2007, and promised to reform its policies.

The university seems to be standing behind Cosby; when asked for comment by Rewire, the college responded by email and said only that “Bill Cosby remains a member of the Temple University Board of Trustees.” However, faculty at the college are raising questions about that decision.

“Given the very disturbing history of women who have been sexually assaulted having their credibility doubted and given how many women have come forward [to accuse Cosby] both in the past and now, I think the board of trustees should think hard about Mr. Cosby’s status and not wait on the courts to have that discussion,” Steve Newman, an associate professor of English and acting president of the faculty union, told the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Harmony Rodriguez, one of the Title IX complainants at Temple, told Rewire that because of her experienced with Temple University’s “hostile environment,” she was not surprised by the decision made by campus officials.

“Temple has a major problem with gendered violence, including rape, that they address only with platitudes and bluster,” Rodriguez said. “[Cosby] fits in perfectly with frat boys, athletes, professors, and other serial rapists and abusers that are given sanctuary at Temple University.”

She said Temple officials have repeatedly vowed to “fight sexual assault,” but allowing Cosby to continue his association with the college has caused her to question the school’s dedication to that fight.

“They’re not dedicated at all,” said Rodriguez. “Temple University doesn’t stand with survivors, it stands with rapists and abusers, so it fits their M.O. perfectly to keep Cosby on the board of trustees.”

Meanwhile, a Change.org petition posted Monday is calling for Temple to drop Cosby from its board.

Other schools and organizations that have benefited from Cosby’s largesse have similarly declined to address the allegations.

Cosby donated $20 million to Spelman College in 1989—money that was used to construct the Camille Olivia Hanks Cosby, Ed.D. Academic Center and create the the $4 million program called the William and Camille Olivia Hanks Cosby Endowed Professorship in Fine Arts.

Spelman College officials declined to respond to Rewire’s request for comment on whether the college would continue the program and keep Cosby’s name on the academic facility. “Spelman College has no comment on the Bill Cosby matter,” a spokesperson said in an email.

Cosby earned master’s and doctorate degrees in education from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. In the years since has had significant involvement on campus including often leading student discussions. When asked for comment, a spokesperson said in an email that “the university is not commenting on the matter.”

“UMass Amherst having ‘No Comment’ on Bill Cosby’s allegations seems to be an attempt to ‘stay out of it,'”Liz Mungovan, Vice President of the Coalition to End Rape Culture (CERC) at UMass Amherst told Rewire.

Mungovan said that the unwillingness of the university to speak out “speaks volumes” about the university’s commitment to help survivors of sexual violence. “By refusing to comment, UMass is silencing the survivors who attend the university,” Mungovan said. “Institutions remaining silent in the face of rape allegations perpetuates an environment where survivors’ stories are not being heard, validated or legitimized.”

St. Frances Academy is a Catholic school that serves mostly low-income high school students in the Baltimore area. Cosby is the largest donor in the school’s history, and the Drs. Camille and Bill Cosby Community Center was named in his and his wife’s honor.

St. Frances has not responded to Rewire’s request for comment on the allegations.

Prevent Child Abuse America is a national organization that works to prevent instances of abuse and neglect around the country. Cosby was previously a member of the group’s National Honor Board, but his name has since been removed from that list. It is unclear when he name was scrubbed from the group’s website, but Cosby was mentioned as a member of the board as recently as December 2013.

When asked for comment, James M. Hmurovich, president and CEO of Prevent Child Abuse America, said in an email only that Cosby “has been removed from the Prevent Child Abuse America Honorary Board”; he declined to say why.

Jumpstart is an early education organization that uses college students to serve children in low-income neighborhoods. Cosby has been involved with the organization for the past few years, mostly consisting of promotional appearances for Jumpstart’s “Read for the Record” program.

Jumpstart declined to comment for this story.

Cosby is a member of the board of directors of both the V Foundation and the anti-union group StudentsFirst; neither organization has responded to Rewire’s request for comment.

The Berklee College of Music did withdraw Cosby’s sponsorship of Berklee Online, as reported in the International Business Times. “With the best of intentions for our student population at heart, we’re going to withdraw Mr. Cosby’s scholarship while things get sorted out,” Allen Bush, Berklee College of Music spokesman, told the Times.