Cosby deserves ‘same treatment as white Americans’

The Claflin University Board of Trustees voted in 2018 to rescind the honorary doctoral degree it gave to TV star Bill Cosby in 1999, saying Cosby’s conduct was “inconsistent with university values.” This file photo is from a visit by Cosby to Claflin in 2014.

Student reaction at Claflin University ranges from disbelief to feelings of black persecution in the case of entertainment legend Bill Cosby and his jail sentence for sexual assault.

The 81-year old Cosby – America’s “TV Dad” -- was sentenced to three to 10 years in prison after being convicted in association with a 2004 sexual assault. He has been accused by multiple women of sexual assault.

“Honestly, I don’t think he did it. They’re just trying to ruin his career. Why would all of these women wait so long, 20-30 years later, to confess,” sophomore Diamond Graves said. “I don’t think he should do time. He is very sick, nearly on his death bed.”

Senior English major Dozel Anderson goes further.

“This is the media’s way of destroying another black public figure, Anderson said.

“What Bill Cosby did warrants no excuse and he should be punished with no consent. No means no! Since they prosecuted Mr. Cosby, I need yours truly Donald Trump, Charlie Sheen, Brent Kavanagh Bill O’Reilly, Harvey Weinstein, Matt Lauer and etc. to also be convicted.

“Mr. Cosby deserves the same treatment as white Americans,” Anderson said.

“I am against rape and I don’t find it OK to drug women and have sex with them. While on the other hand, why after all these years bring it up?” mass communications major Kyhree G said.

Criminal justice major Angel Hauge sees the case against Cosby differently.

“I don’t think his case had anything to do with race. If anything, his sentencing is really not that long for the accused crimes, Hauge said. “I think that justice has no age or time period.

“Sexual assault is becoming a more mainstream issue and the public is drawing more attention to these acts due to the mere dominance males have over women, especially within the professional environment,” Hauge said. “Though the criminal justice system may not always be fair, I do believe that sufficient evidence had to have been proven for him to be sentenced.”

Amber Price, senior mass communications major, also is no Cosby defender.

“It’s crazy how all these women are just now coming up to say he raped them. But he’s in the wrong too for how he treated those people. He deserves to be punished for his wrongdoings,” Price said.  

Xlezia Felder, applied science undergraduate, said, ““I feel as if he did it, he should be prosecuted. But all of the rest of the pedophiles same as Donald Trump, Charlie Sheen, Brent Kavanaugh and Harvey Weinstein. The reason why I say he could of raped these women, the question is why he didn’t try to pursue the women he worked with on his sets. Why did these women wait until he wanted to buy NBC and confess that he allegedly raped them? He felt like Michael Jackson, another black man accused of a crime he may have not committed because of his race.”

 Minister Blondell Calloway said, “He may have committed this crime with some of these women but I don’t think all of the accusers are telling the truth. What’s done in the dark will come to the light. The Bible … says for whatever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”