PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Comedian Bill Cosby has resigned from the board of trustees of Temple University, his alma mater said in a statement on Monday that comes as the entertainer faces accusations of sexual assault.
More than a dozen women have come forward in the past few weeks with accusations that Cosby, 77, sexually assaulted them at some point over the past few decades.
Patrick O'Connor, chairman of the Philadelphia university's board of trustees, said that Cosby had called him on Monday to resign.
"He didn't want his personal issue to detract from his service to Temple," O'Connor said in a phone interview. "He was a great trustee. I thanked him for his service."
NBC and Netflix have since canceled planned projects with Cosby and promoters have pulled out of some of the dates on Cosby's U.S. stand-up comedy tour.
Cosby was a frequent visitor to Temple's sprawling urban campus and often mentioned the school in his act. Temple's silence on the situation since allegations came to light had raised uncomfortable questions for some students at the prestigious university.
"I have always been proud of my association with Temple University. I have always wanted to do what would be in the best interests of the university and its students," Cosby said in a statement released by the university.
Cosby's publicist, David Brokaw, did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment.
(Writing by Scott Malone; Editing by Richard Valdmanis and Eric Walsh)