The list of people and organizations trying to get as far away from Bill Cosby as possible keeps growing. Now his alma mater has shown him the door.
Bill Cosby resigns from fundraising post at alma mater News that comedian agreed to resign from UMass Amherst comes as university in Tennessee cancelled appearance by the comedian at its annual benefit dinner
UMass Amherst, where Cosby received a master’s and a doctorate in education, said in a statement on Wednesday that the comedian agreed to resign as the honorary co-chair of the school’s ongoing $300m fundraising campaign, the Boston Globe reported.
“He no longer has any affiliation with the campaign nor does he serve in any other capacity for the university,” said UMass spokesman Edward Blaguszewski in a statement. The day before, the university said Cosby would remain in the post, the Globe said.
The actor and his wife, Camille, have donated between $250,000 and $499,999 to UMass, according to a recent report on donations to the university. In 2004, Cosby performed at a benefit dinner that raised $1.5m for the university, the Associated Press reported.
That is a dramatic example of how rapidly someone can go from being seen as an asset to being seen as a serious liability.