The executive committee of Penn’s board of trustees has voted unanimously to remove the name of Steve Wynn C’63, a former trustee, from Wynn Commons, revoke his honorary degree, and remove his name from a scholarship fund he created. In a February 1 letter to the University community, Trustee Chair David L. Cohen L’81 and Penn President Amy Gutmann cited “multiple credible reports” alleging “pervasive and decades-long acts of sexual harassment and intimidation” as the impetus for the trustees’ actions.
Allowing that Wynn has denied the allegations, Cohen and Gutmann noted that the “reputational impact of what has been reported is so significant that Mr. Wynn resigned from his position as finance chairman for the Republican National Committee” and was under investigation by the board of directors of Wynn Resorts. “Our responsibilities of stewardship of our University’s reputation,” they stated, called for “an immediate, decisive, and clearly ethical response.” Penn will at the same time revoke the honorary degree awarded to Bill Cosby, “who has similarly been accused by multiple parties of sexual assault.”
