Cosby philanthropy shadowed by sexual allegations


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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Bill Cosby's record of big donations to colleges and other institutions has been a key part of his rosy public image.

But even his generosity can't stand apart from the rising tide of allegations made by women accusing him of sexual assault.

High Point University in North Carolina has removed Cosby from its National Board of Advisers. It's a panel that includes retired Gen. Colin Powell.

And the Berklee College of Music says it's "no longer awarding an online scholarship in Mr. Cosby's name."

Still, no institutions have yet come forward to publicly renounce any of the tens of millions of dollars that Cosby and his wife, Camille, have given over the years.

One philanthropy expert points out that nothing has been proven against Cosby, and he hasn't been charged. And Michael Chatman says those who've received donations from Cosby are likely to take a wait-and-see approach.

He says if there were to be a verdict in a criminal or civil case, it would bring "a devastating effect" to Cosby's "charitable legacy."

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APPHOTO NYET261: FILE - In this Nov. 6, 2013 file photo, Comedian Bill Cosby performs at the Stand Up for Heroes event at Madison Square Garden in New York. Biographer Mark Whitaker, whose "Cosby: His Life and Times" was published in September, tweeted Monday that he was wrong not to "aggressively" look into the charges and promised to address them "at the appropriate time." Whitaker's book has been widely criticized for idealizing Cosby, although some critics praised it upon release. (John Minchillo/Invision/AP, File) (6 Nov 2013)

<<APPHOTO NYET261 (11/06/13)££

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