Steve Wynn, Bill Cosby To Lose Honorary Degrees From University Of Pennsylvania

The University of Pennsylvania on Thursday made an announcement to revoke the honorary degrees of former Penn Trustee Steve Wynn and stand-up comedian Bill Cosby following accusations of sexual misconduct.

According to a report by the Daily Pennsylvanian, apart from deciding to revoke Wynn’s honorary degree, which was awarded to him in 2006, the university also removed the name “Wynn" from a signage in the common area outside the Houston Hall. It is also planning to remove his name from a scholarship fund, which Wynn himself had established.

David Cohen, the chairman of the university's Board of Trustees along with the university’s president, Amy Gutmann, wrote an email to the Penn community, which said, "Late last week, multiple credible reports emerged in the national press detailing pervasive and decades-long acts of sexual harassment and intimidation by Steve Wynn, former Penn Trustee and College alumnus.”

“The nature, severity, and extent of these allegations, and the patterns of abusive behavior they describe, involve acts and conduct that are inimical to the core values of our University,” it added.

The report further stated that the name “Wynn” which was displayed in a signage outside the Houston Hall was covered by a rectangular piece of metal early Thursday.

The university also said it would revoke Cosby’s honorary degree also after the actor and stand-up comedian was accused of sexual misconduct by more than 50 women two years ago.

Regarding Cosby, the email said, “At the same time we are taking these actions, we will also revoke the honorary degree awarded to Bill Cosby, who has similarly been accused by multiple parties of sexual assault.”

When Cosby was accused in 2015, a spokesman for the university, Steve McCarthy said, “While the allegations against Mr. Cosby are deeply troubling, it is not our practice to rescind honorary degrees.”

The email also stated that 100 years had passed by since the university had last revoked an honorary degree. The last time the university revoked honorary degrees was in 1918 when German Kaiser Friedrich Wilhelm II and then German Ambassador to the United States Johann Heinrich von Bernstorff’s degrees were rescinded after the U.S. broke diplomatic ties with Germany after the First World War.

Justifying the decision taken on Wynn and Cosby, the email said, “We view these as extraordinary and essentially unique circumstances that call for an immediate, decisive, and clearly ethical response.”

Two days before the email was sent to the Penn community, the “Wynn Commons” signage was vandalized. Wynn’s name was covered with marks of black paint and it was also reported by some people that police authorities were seen at the scene of the incident.

The decision by the Pennsylvania University came a day after University of Iowa stated they would remove Wynn’s name from its Institute of Vision Research. If the decision meets with an approval from State of Iowa’s Board of Regents, then it would be the first time that a donor’s name would be taken off from a building or institute in the history of the university.

According to reports, Wynn was accused of allegedly pressurizing employees in his casinos and resorts to perform sex acts for decades. One of the main accusations was that of a manicurist who claimed Wynn allegedly forced her to engage in a sexual intercourse with him.