Marist Revokes Bill O'Reilly's Honorary Degree

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY — Months after Bill O’Reilly was ousted from his Fox News Channel hosting gig, Marist College issued a statement that the private college was revoking O’Reilly’s honorary degree. The statement, which was found on the college's website Sunday, read, in part, “Bill O’Reilly has been accused of engaging in multiple acts of sexual misconduct and sexual harassment of women in the workplace. Mr. O’Reilly has denied these allegations.

“To many, his reported payments of tens of millions of dollars and dismissal by Fox News lend credibility to the allegations against him.

“Any form of sexual harassment or abuse is deeply contrary to the values of Marist College,” the statement said.

O’Reilly graduated from Marist in 1971. He majored in history and was a columnist for the student newspaper, according to information on the Marist website.

He was awarded the honorary degree in 2001 and had helped fund scholarships for the college.

O’Reilly was fired from Fox News April 19, 2017, after multiple allegations of sexual assault. His dismissal came with a $25 million exit package.

Five of the women who said they were abused by the television personality were reportedly paid a total of $13 million in settlements.

Fox News’ parent company — 21st Century Fox — has paid more than $85 millions in sexual harassment and abusive behavior settlements, including a $40 million exit deal to Roger Ailes, who was let go in 2016 over similar allegations.

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