What jail will be like for Bill Cosby

Temple University on Friday rescinded an honorary doctorate it had awarded to Bill Cosby, a longtime fund-raiser and graduate of the Philadelphia school, where years later he met the victim of the sexual assault that resulted in his conviction this week.

Temple joined at least three other major US universities that have taken back honorary degrees since Thursday’s verdict, reflecting a broader reappraisal of the 80-year-old comedian’s place in American culture. The announcement by Temple followed withdrawals by Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, and Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. All of the schools embraced Cosby years ago when he was celebrated as a beloved black comedian who had transcended racial divides to become “America’s Dad.” Before his conviction in a Pennsylvania court, at least 15 schools had withdrawn honours from Cosby, as dozens of women went public with accusations of sexual assault, some of them dating to the 1960s.

“In 1991, based on his career achievements, Temple awarded an honorary degree to William Cosby,” the school said in a statement on Friday. “Today the Temple University Board of Trustees has accepted the recommendation of the University to rescind the honorary degree.”

As a Temple trustee, Cosby first met Andrea Constand, at the time a university employee that he would drug and sexually assault in 2004 at his nearby home, 14 years before his conviction for the crime.