After her public support for Bill Cosby’s release from prison, Phylicia Rashad is facing harsh criticism, including calls for her dismissal as dean of Howard University’s College of Fine Arts from prominent Black voices.
Rashad, who played Cosby’s wife for years in the family sitcom “The Cosby Show,” and has publicly defended and expressed support for Cosby through his years-long legal battles, is a prominent Howard alumnus, and her recent appointment as dean was celebrated as a homecoming. Howard Provost Anthony K. Wutoh said that her “passion for the arts and student success makes her a perfect fit for this role.”
Cosby, 83, had been serving almost three years of a three-to-ten year sentence for drugging and violating Temple University sports administrator Andrea Constand in 2004. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court recently overturned his conviction, ruling that Cosby’s agreement with the previous district attorney in 2005 should have prevented him from being charged in the 2018 case.
Rashad tweeted a picture of Cosby with the message “FINALLY!!!! A terrible wrong is being righted- a miscarriage of justice is corrected!” shortly after the ruling.
The tweet drew an immediate online response with a few expressing support, but many others voicing dismay for her support for Cosby who has been, to date, accused by approximately 60 women of rape, drug-facilitated sexual assault, sexual battery, child sexual abuse, and sexual misconduct, with the earliest incidents allegedly taking place in the mid-1960s.
Some of the harshest critics included Jelani Cobb, another notable Howard alumnus, who tweeted directly to Howard University and bluntly said, “This person should not be a Dean.”
Hours after her initial tweet, Rashad released a clarification, stating her sympathy for all survivors of sexual support. The statement did not mention Bill Cosby or his case.
“I fully support survivors of sexual assault coming forward. My post was in no way intended to be insensitive to their truth,” she wrote. “Personally, I know from friends and family that such abuse has lifelong residual effects. My heartfelt wish is for healing.”
It remains to be seen whether her position as dean is at risk, but the university has distanced itself from her comments. In a statement, Howard acknowledged Rashad’s clarification and said that her initial tweet “lacked sensitivity towards survivors of sexual assault. Personal positions of University leadership do not reflect Howard University’s policies. We will continue to advocate for survivors fully and advocate their right to be heard.”