Cosby said the move is in the “best interest of the university and its students,” according to a statement yesterday from the Philadelphia-based school. He had been a trustee since 1982.
Several schools with links to Cosby have cut ties, including the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, where he earned a master’s degree and doctorate in education; Berklee College of Music; and High Point University in North Carolina.
“This is the best thing for Temple and the Temple community,” said Kerry Potter McCormick, an attorney and 2005 Temple graduate who began an online petition urging the college to ends its relationship with Cosby. The petition, started Nov. 20 on the Change.org website, has drawn almost 1,100 supporters.
The board accepted Cosby’s resignation and thanked him “for his service to the university,” according to the statement.
Cosby has encountered more than a dozen allegations of sexual assault, some dating back decades. He hasn’t faced any prosecution tied to the accusations, though in 2006 he settled a lawsuit filed by Andrea Constand, a former employee of Temple.
Several of Cosby’s one-man comedy shows have been canceled across the country. Netflix Inc. also postponed a Cosby special and NBC halted development of a TV series.