A century since honorary degrees revoked over ‘sex pest’ allegations

THE University of Pennsylvania announced this week it would remove casino mogul Steve Wynn’s name from a campus plaza and revoke honorary degrees given to him and comedian Bill Cosby in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations against both men.

The school’s president, Amy Gutmann, and chair of its board of trustees, David Cohen, said: “It is incumbent on all of us to address these issues wherever and whenever we find that they affect our extended community.”

Wynn’s name will be removed from a scholarship fund.

The university said it had been a century since it took away an honorary degree, but “credible” allegations against the men warranted the action.

The Wall Street Journal last week reported that a number of women said they were harassed or assaulted by Wynn, with one case leading to a $7.5 million settlement.

Wynn has strongly denied the allegations, attributing them to a campaign led by his ex-wife. He resigned yesterday as the finance chairman of the Republican National Committee.

Cosby, who has had honorary degrees stripped by multiple universities, is scheduled to be retried in April on charges that he drugged and molested a woman in 2004. His previous trial ended with a hung jury. His spokesman did not immediately return a voicemail seeking comment. – Ap/african News Agency (ANA)

DPA reported that the

Berlin Film Festival, due to take place this month, was forced to reject several entries amid concerns that a director or an actor had been involved in sexual misconduct, festival chief Dieter Kosslick said on Friday.