Smithsonian to include Bill Cosby sexual assault accusations

The Smithsonian in Washington D.C. announced that it now plans to acknowledge the sexual-assault allegations against Bill Cosby at its new African-American history museum on the National Mall.

“Like all of history, our interpretation of Bill Cosby is a work in progress, something that will continue to evolve as new evidence and insights come to the fore,” said Lonnie G. Bunch, founding director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.

“Visitors will leave the exhibition knowing more about Mr. Cosby’s impact on American entertainment, while recognizing that his legacy has been severely damaged by the recent accusations,” Bunch said.

Curators at the museum, on the National Mall, had said that they felt Cosby’s achievements should be stand alone, but the museum said no.

The museum is slated to open in September on the National Mall comes as Cosby defends charges in Pennsylvania of three counts of sexual assault.