Academy expels Bill Cosby and Roman Polanski

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has expelled Bill Cosby and Roman Polanski from its membership.

The Academy’s board of governors met Tuesday and voted to expel the two “in accordance with the organization’s Standards of Conduct.” The Academy released a statement announcing the decision, saying, “The Board continues to encourage ethical standards that require members to uphold the Academy’s values of respect for human dignity.”

The news comes several days after Cosby was convicted of drugging and sexually assaulting a woman. He was found guilty on three charges. The conviction comes after more than 60 women have accused the comedian and former TV star of sexual misconduct, spanning multiple decades.

Polanski fled the United States more than four decades ago, after he pleaded guilty to raping a then-13-year-old girl. The director spent more than a month in prison before fleeing the country, and he has remained a fugitive ever since.

Polanski is a five-time Academy Award nominee, and he most recently won Best Director in 2003 for The Pianist. (He did not attend the ceremony.) Cosby has never been nominated.

The move comes several months after the Academy voted out disgraced produced Harvey Weinstein, who has been accused of sexual harassment and assault by multiple women. (He has denied all allegations of non-consensual sex.) The Weinstein allegations led the Academy to approve new standards of conduct in December, giving the board the power to suspend or expel members who violate the code.