Celebrity

Phylicia Rashad’s Twitter Reaction to Bill Cosby’s Release Sparks Calls for Howard University to Take Action

It was announced this week that Bill Cosby was being released after serving three years in federal […]

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It was announced this week that Bill Cosby was being released after serving three years in federal prison after being convicted of three counts of aggravated indecent assault following being accused of rape by 60 women. Cosby’s former co-star on The Cosby Show, Phylicia Rashad, caused an uproar on Twitter on Wednesday shortly after Cosby was released, after she announced her stance on the situation. Rashad tweeted, “FINALLY!!! A terrible wrong is being righted – a miscarriage of justice is corrected,” she tweeted along with a photo of Cosby.

Her tweet did not go over well with the public with many accusing her of ignoring rape and not believing sexual assault survivors. Shortly after her initial tweet, she sent out another one and somewhat tried to backtrack her statement without fully clarifying why she said what she said. “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 friends and family that such abuse has lifelong residual effects. My heartfelt wish is for healing.”

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Even despite her efforts, onlookers and social media users aren’t holding back. Rashad was appointed the dean of Howard University’s Fine Arts and now the university is being accused of supporting such conduct. However, the institution released a statement that condemns that kind of behavior. “Survivors of sexual assault will always be our priority. While Dean Rashad has acknowledged in her follow-up tweet that victims must be heard and believed, her initial tweet lacked sensitivity towards survivors of sexual assault,” the statement read.

“Personal positions of University leadership do not reflect Howard University’s policies. We will continue to advocate for survivors fully and support their right to be heard. Howard will stand with survivors and challenge systems that would deny them justice. We have full confidence that our faculty and school leadership will live up to this sacred commitment,” it continued.

However, Twitter users are calling for more. Below is a list of reactions from social media users calling for Howard University to do more and continuing to accuse them of siding with Rashad and Cosby.

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