Bill Cosby was released from prison today following the decision by Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court to overturn his previous conviction of sexual assault. Cosby was originally sentenced to serve up to ten years of prison time for sexually assaulting and drugging Andrea Constand in 2004. Nationwide, 60 women came forward to say that the Cosby Show star raped or sexually harassed them, with many stating that Cosby drugged them during these encounters. In response to his release, Cosby’s former costar Phylicia Rashad tweeted her support with a smiling photo of him: “FINALLY!!!! A terrible wrong is being righted- a miscarriage of justice is corrected!”
FINALLY!!!! A terrible wrong is being righted- a miscarriage of justice is corrected! pic.twitter.com/NrGUdwr23c
— Phylicia Rashad (@PhyliciaRashad) June 30, 2021
Already, thousands of Twitter users are reacting not solely to the news of Cosby’s release but also to Rashad’s apparent loyalty to him. Rashad was just recently named the incoming dean of Howard University’s reestablished Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts, a position that may well have to respond to issues of campus sexual assault in the future, making some observers wary of how Rashad might—or might not—support Howard students in those cases. Washingtonian asked Howard University for comment and will update this story when we hear back.
Dean Rashad,
Is this how you're going to react when a Howard CoFA student tells you they were assaulted by another student if that student happens to be someone you like and admire?
Because what you're telling Howard women rn is that you don't care if they're raped. https://t.co/cD2miBDGXD
— A Shady Dame From Seville (@SorayaMcDonald) June 30, 2021
I’m sure Phylicia Rashad being the new dean of Howard University’s College of Fine Arts will have absolutely no bearing whatsoever on how that program handles student claims of sexual harassment and assault. Yep, nothing to see here, folks. Shut up and dance. https://t.co/MoNjHeFCYW
— Saeed Jones (@theferocity) June 30, 2021
Read The Room?! Phylicia Rashad Celebrates Bill Cosby’s Conviction Being Overturned, Baffled Bystanders Begrudgingly Say 'Bye Phylicia' https://t.co/OPSzEZH4YK pic.twitter.com/nnFBbIZTif
— Bossip (@Bossip) June 30, 2021
Phylicia Rashad is a dean of a school at Howard University, an HBCU with more Black women students than men — and she is capping for a man who admitted to drugging women and having sex with them in the process.
Fall semester is about to be a trip…
— Ernest Owens (@MrErnestOwens) June 30, 2021
Regardless of today’s court decision, this is Bill Cosby’s legacy. pic.twitter.com/rBYWWILwZN
— Renée Graham 🏳️🌈 (@reneeygraham) June 30, 2021
As a @HowardU School of Fine Arts alum, and as a survivor, this tweet from @PhyliciaRashad is disappointing. I hope we can have a dean who believes & respects survivors. Howards students who are survivors, I believe you & here are resources: https://t.co/AedmHaOPxN #HUStands https://t.co/qD4doAncIT
— a Black-passing openly Black Latina. (@aliciasanchez) June 30, 2021
Rosa is a senior editor at Bitch Magazine. She’s written for Washingtonian and Smithsonian magazine.
