Bill Cosby has been accused of sexual assault by over 50 women, in the past 15 years. Because of statue of limitations Cosby could never be taken to court. But model, Chloe Goins accused the comedian of drugging and sexually assaulting her in 2008, which is within the statue of limitations.
Goins met with detectives in January, and said that Cosby gave her a drink that made her sick and dizzy. She also said that he took her to a room to lie down, and when she woke up he was on top of her. Goins is suing Cosby, saying the assault resulted in mental anguish, low self-esteem, and loss of dignity. Cosby’s lawyer denied all accusations. Normally, journalists don’t identify people who claim to be victims of sexual assault, but Goins came forward publicly at a January news conference.
Barbara Bowmen is another woman who accused Cosby of sexually assaulting her. She said that in 1985, when she was 17 and an aspiring actress, he brainwashed her into viewing him as a father figure. At his brownstone in New York, she supposedly blacked out after one glass of wine, and woke up to him on top of her as well. She also said that in Atlantic City, her hotel room was next to his, and he attempted to rape her. She continued to struggle and scream for help, so Cosby called her “a baby” and sent her home to Denver.
Sharon Van Ert, Pamela Abeyta, and Lisa Christie were with celebrity attorney Gloria Allred when they told their stories about Bill Cosby, at a Los Angeles news conference. Allred said that statue of limitations doesn’t allow Cosby to be charged with anything, but that the three women wanted to tell their stories.
Van Ert said that in 1976, she was a waitress at a Southern California beachside jazz club. Cosby offered to walk her to her car, got in with her, and then she blacked out.
Abeyta said that in 1975, she was a 25 year old when she was taken to Las Vegas and given a bedroom in Cosby’s penthouse suite. She believes that her drink was drugged, when she attended a show with Cosby and his friend, because she woke up in his bed.
Christie was 18 when she was planning to be a model and actress. Cosby casted her as an extra on “The Cosby Show”. She viewed him as a father figure and maintained a platonic relationship with him for two years, but she said that after two years, Cosby coerced her into sleeping with him. Cosby had no comment, when he was questioned about the accusation.
“I think in the ideal our system is the best in the world but it depends on humans who make up the juries and if they are susceptible to being influenced by outside factors such as wealth, fame and color,” NHS English teacher Kathy Swift said.
In 2005, Cosby said under oath that he did purchase drugs that were intended for the women, he wanted to have sex with. He also said that he did pay a woman to sleep with him, but he denied actually sexually assaulting women.
“I think I’m a pretty decent reader of people and their emotions in these romantic, sexual things whatever you want to call them,” Cosby said to The Times.
This response offered neither validation or refutation regarding this incident. “Maybe it was his perception that it wasn’t abuse,” Clare Francke NHS counseling office secretary said.
In 2002, Bill Cosby was awarded the Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest civilian award. When Obama was asked about revoking the award, he said that no civilized country should tolerate rape, but that there was no way to revoke the award. He also said at a press conference, “I’ll say this. If you give a woman-or a man, for that matter- without his or her knowledge a drug, and then have sex with that person without consent, that’s rape.”
Angela Rose, the executive director of a victims support group started a petition to revoke Cosby’s award. The petition had a little over 11,000 supporters. Rose said after the press conference, “The Medal of Freedom embodies our nation’s values. Allowing Cosby to maintain this coveted symbol suggests that we as a society support coercive sexual behavior. Revoking the award will send a powerful message to America’s youth about the critical importance of consent, which is a freely given, enthusiastic, verbal, and sober ‘yes’, not the absence of a ‘no’.”
The spokesman for Kirsten Gillibrand senator of New York said that she supported the petition. Glen Caplin, the spokesman said, “Someone who admitted to using drugs for sex no longer deserves the nation’s highest honor.”
Actress and host of The View, Whoopi Goldberg initially said that Bill Cosby was innocent until proven guilty, but changed her opinion. She said that not only were there so many women accusing Cosby of sexual assault, but there was no proof that they were lying.
Many seem to agree with Goldberg’s assessment. “Honestly I don’t like to put too much emphasis to what I hear on television, but I can’t imagine he’s innocent with all the people coming forward,” Franke said.
Over the past thirty years many colleges invited Cosby to graduations, where he gave commencement speeches offering words of encouragement to the graduates and received over 100 honorary degrees. Colleges are now debating whether to revoke Cosby’s awards. Some colleges refuse to revoke the awards, because Cosby was never found guilty in court, yet some are.
Marquette University’s President Michael Lovell and MU Provost Daniel Myers announced on September, 24th that the university is rescinding the honorary degree given to Cosby. Christina Paxson announced in an email, sent to the student body, that the school is revoking Cosby’s honorary given to him in 1985. Similarly, University of San Francisco’s spokesperson, Gary McDonald said that the University of San Francisco's Board of Trustees voted to revoke the award given to Cosby.
Before Cosby was accused, many looked up to him, because of his success and good sense of humor. “I grew up with him and he was my idol. When I found out, I was very disappointed. He’s a horrible person and I believe the women,” NHS LMC-secretary said, when asked how she reacted when she found out that Cosby was accused of sexual assault.
The statue of limitations made it impossible for the court to prosecute Bill Cosby for sexual assault, but now there is a woman who claims she’s a victim and who is within the statue of limitations.