Bill Cosby Stripped of Honorary Degrees from Fordham and Marquette

In the wake of more than 40 women accusing BIll Cosby of sexual assault, Fordham and Marquette have stripped the comedian of his honorary degrees from the Jesuit universities.

According to Vulture, Fordham University issued a statement to its students saying that they gave Cosby an honorary degree "because of the significant role he played in breaking the color barrier in American television and popular culture." However, the University Board of Trustees voted unanimously to rescind the degree they gave Cosby in 2001, the first time the university has ever revoked an honorary degree.

"That Mr. Cosby was willing to drug and rape women for his sexual gratification, and further damage those same women's reputations and careers to obscure his guilt, hurt not only his victims, but all women, and is beyond the pale," the statement read.

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Marquette University President Michael R. Lovell and Provost Daniel Myers also issued a statement to students, explaining their decision to rescind the degree they granted Cosby in 2013.

"Every day, we live these values by challenging our students to integrate knowledge and faith into their real-life decisions in ways that will shape their lives," Lovell and Myers wrote. "With those values in mind, let us all remember that the foundations on which our great university was built remain as important today as ever."

Fordham and Marquette's decisions come a few months after Spelman College cut ties with Cosby. Though the comedian hasn't been charged with any crime, he has admitted to drugging women in order to have sex with them and is scheduled for a deposition on Oct. 9.