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University cancels Cosby appearance

HENDERSON, Tenn.

A university in Tennessee says it has canceled Bill Cosby’s scheduled appearance at a benefit dinner amid allegations made by women accusing the comedian of sexual assault.

Freed-Hardeman University in Henderson said in a statement Wednesday that Dr. Ben Carson will replace Cosby at the Dec. 5 dinner.

An attorney for the 77-year-old comedian has called the accusations that he drugged and assaulted numerous women “unsubstantiated” and “discredited.”

Freed-Hardeman President Joe Wiley says the university knows that “names we have seen in the media represent real people who will be affected long after FHU’s dinner has passed.”

Numerous dates on Cosby’s tour have been canceled amid the allegations. One North Carolina school removed the entertainer from an advisory board; another stopped awarding an online scholarship in Cosby’s name.

Canada police arrest ex-radio host in sex case

TORONTO

Prominent former Canadian Broadcasting Corp. radio host Jian Ghomeshi was arrested Wednesday on sexual-assault charges and ordered to live with his mother while the case that has rocked Canada’s vaunted public broadcaster is heard.

The former star CBC radio host was charged with four counts of sexual assault and one count of what authorities called “overcome resistance — choking,” Toronto police said in a statement.

After media reports of sexual-assault allegations against Ghomeshi first emerged in October, the CBC fired the 47-year-old host of “Q,” a popular radio show on culture that also was heard on many public radio stations in the U.S. Ghomeshi denied the allegations, saying he had consensual “rough sex” with women.

In his first public appearance since the allegations surfaced, Ghomeshi appeared briefly in court, where a justice of the peace granted him bail on condition he turns over his passport and lives with his mother. Bail was set at $100,000. He’s due in court again Jan. 8.

Associated Press