Woman accuses Cosby of groping her at Penn Relays

One of Bill Cosby’s latest accusers has claimed that he assaulted her on Penn’s campus.

During a New York press conference on Friday, two more women claimed to be sexually assaulted by the famed comedian, bringing the total number of alleged Cosby victims to nearly 60 women.

At the press conference, one of the women named Donna Barrett said that she was officiating the Penn Relays at Franklin Field in 2004 when a man grabbed her from behind.

Barrett said that she “felt his private parts” against her backside.

“He had his arm on my waist and forcefully pulled me on to his private area saying, ‘Hey, back that thing up here girl, back it on up,’” she said at the conference. “I cried out and tried to pull away from his vice-like grip on my waist.”

Barrett added that Cosby used his other arm to hold down her arm. The alleged assault was captured in a photo displayed at the press conference in which a man appearing to be Cosby is seen holding her from behind. The picture shows him dressed head to toe in Penn gear.

Barrett is being represented by 1963 College graduate Gloria Allred, who is known for handling high-profile cases like this one. Allred represents many other Cosby accusers as well.

“I was angry that Mr. Cosby would take such liberty as to force his person upon me and force me against my will,” Barrett said in the press conference.

And while she said she complained to those around her at Franklin Field that day, “no one knew what to do.”

Cosby, a Philadelphia native, is no stranger to Penn. Cosby has been a fixture at Penn’s annual track and field. He has served as the honorary race starter multiple times and even filmed an episode of “The Cosby Show” during the 1986 relays.

In 1990, Cosby received an honorary Doctor of Laws from the University, and in 1997 he was selected as the commencement speaker.

In 2013, he was paid to perform standup at the Palestra following a Penn basketball game against Cosby’s alma mater, Temple University. Cosby served on Temple’s Board of Trustees from 1982 until late last year when he resigned from the board.

Earlier this week, Franklin & Marshall College announced it would join schools like Lehigh, Tufts, Brown and Fordham universities by revoking Cosby’s honorary degree. Penn’s Secretary of the University Leslie Kruhly, who oversees honorary degrees, declined to comment on whether Penn plans to join the growing list of schools stripping Cosby of his honors. The Office of University Communications also declined to comment on Cosby’s honorary degree.

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