Bill Cosby’s honorary degree revoked by Northwestern University

EVANSTON — Northwestern University has revoked the honorary degree it awarded Bill Cosby two decades ago — the first time the school has taken such a step in its 167-year history.

In a news release, the school in Evanston announced its board of trustees discussed revoking the honorary degree it awarded to the comedian in 1997 during his trial on sex assault charges. The board decided to wait until the end of the trial before making a decision.

The unanimous vote to revoke Cosby’s Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree came during the board’s first meeting since Cosby was convicted in April of three counts of aggravated indecent assault for drugging and assaulting a woman at his Philadelphia home in 2004.

Cosby is scheduled to be sentenced in September.