Felicia Rashad’s comments on Bill Cosby’s release were criticized on Twitter

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(lr) Bill Cosby and Felicia Rashad appear on NBC News’ “Today” show.

Peter Kramer | NBC International | Getty Images

Bill Cosby’s TV wife and incoming dean of Howard University’s School of Fine Arts, Felicia Rashad, faced sharp criticism on Wednesday after celebrating the controversial comedian’s release from prison.

Earlier in the day, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned Cosby’s conviction as a result of an agreement he had made with a former attorney general that would have prevented him from bringing criminal charges against him in the case. Court documents say the ruling prevents any retrial in the case.

The 83-year-old comedian had spent two years in prison for three to 10 years for indecent assault on Andrea Constand in 2004. Nationwide, 60 women have come forward to accuse the “Cosby Show” star of rape or sexual harassment, and many have stated that they They were drugged during these confrontations. Cosby said his contact with Constand was consensual and he denied all other allegations of wrongdoing.

Rashad tweeted “finally” in large letters and a series of exclamation points. “A fatal error is corrected – the error in the administration of justice is corrected.”

Rashad, who played Cosby’s wife on two TV shows, was recently appointed dean to reestablish Howard University and change its name to Chadwick A. Bosman Fine Art. The position makes Rashad the first responder to sexual assault cases on campus.

Howard University representatives did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.

Rashad has previously defended Cosby, calling some allegations of abuse against him a “mastermind.”

Her tweet sparked concerns from many online about how she would handle sexual assault allegations in her role as Dean.

Linda Correia, the Washington attorney who filed a lawsuit in 2017 against Howard University on behalf of six current students at the university for failing to reasonably respond to their sexual violence complaints, said of Rashad’s tweet: “Well, I think the fault of justice is for the victims. who testified at Cosby’s trial.

“It’s no surprise that she supported him. She always supported him,” said Correa, whose clients settled their lawsuit with Howard last year on undisclosed terms.

“I would like to say that I believe that any statement that goes against the recognition of a miscarriage of justice for those women who have the courage to come forward is not what the student survivors want to see now,” she added.

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