Fresh off of a sexual assault case that ended in a mistrial, Bill Cosby now plans to give a speaking tour to educate young people about sexual assault and how to avoid accusations of it.
Cosby’s spokepeople appeared Thursday on Birmingham, Alabama TV station WBRC’s “Good Morning Alabama” to discuss the trial and the celebrity’s desire to “get back to work,” which they said would involve hosting a series of town halls on sexual assault complaints for young people, particularly athletes.
The “issue” of getting accused of sexual assault, said spokesman Andrew Wyatt, is “bigger than Bill Cosby.”
“They need to know what they’re facing when they’re hanging out and partying, when they’re doing certain things they shouldn’t be doing,” said Wyatt.
“It’s also an issue that affects married men,” he laughed.
Cosby’s spokeswoman Ebonee Benson added that a “brush against a shoulder” is now grounds for sexual assault complaints.
“Laws are changing. The statutes of limitations for victims of sexual assault are being extended,” she said. “You know, anything at this point can be sexual assault and it’s a good thing to be educated about the laws.”
Cosby was tried in Pennsylvania on three counts of sexual assault stemming from Andrea Constand’s accusations that he drugged and then assaulted her in 2004. A jury deadlocked on those charges and a mistrial was declared on Saturday, although prosecutors announced their intention to retry the case.
Constand was one of dozens of women who have come forward over the years with similar allegations against the star of “The Cosby Show.”