The Tufts University board of trustees unanimously voted this month to strip famed cyclist Lance Armstrong of the honorary degree given to him at a graduation commencement in 2006.
Ater the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency brought to light new evidence he used performance-enhancing drugs, Armstrong lost his seven Tour De France titles earlier this year. As Newser notes, the revelations also cost Armstrong all ties to Livestrong, the charity he founded, a lucrative contract with Nike and his ability to run in the Chicago marathon. His Tufts degree is the latest.
The Massachusetts university's board said Tufts appreciates Armstrong's efforts to fight cancer, but the Associated Press reports the board concluded the cyclist's "actions as an athlete are inconsistent with the values of the university."
When accepting his honorary degree in 2006, Armstrong spoke about his battle against testicular cancer and his return to professional cycling, according to the Boston Globe:
"For a guy who barely made it out of high school, I find it incredibly ironic that I am standing up here as a doctor," Armstrong said during his speech. "I would just ask that somebody send the photos to the principal at Plano East Senior High and let them know that I, in fact, graduated from Tufts and he has to call me Dr. Armstrong now."
It looks like that principal can stick with calling him Lance.