Amidst the sexual misconduct allegations levelled against Bill Cosby, President Barack Obama has rejected the idea to invalidate the actor’s Presidential Honoring Medal of Freedom.

On Wednesday, Obama told reporters at the White House that, “there is no precedent or mechanism for taking back Cosby’s medal.”

President Obama declined to talk about the specific allegations against Cosby; however, he said if anyone gives a drug to someone else without that other person’s knowledge, and then has sex with the other person, “that’s rape.”

As at Wednesday afternoon, 11,000 signatures was signed online by people who support the invocation of the medal.