The Tumultuous Tenure of Jerry Falwell Jr. as President of Liberty University

Jerry Lamon Falwell Jr., born on June 17, 1962, is an American evangelical attorney and former academic administrator. He is best known for his leadership of Liberty University, a prominent evangelical Christian university founded by his father, Jerry Falwell Sr. This article explores Falwell Jr.'s history, his rise to presidency, the controversies that plagued his tenure, and his eventual departure from the university.

Early Life and Education

Jerry Falwell Jr. is the eldest son of Jerry Sr. and Macel Falwell (née Pate). He spent his early years in Lynchburg, Virginia, attending private schools, including Lynchburg Christian Academy (later renamed Liberty Christian Academy), where he graduated in 1980. He later pursued a career in law, working in private practice in Virginia from 1987 to 2007, and serving as the lawyer for Liberty University and its related organizations.

Succession Plan and Rise to Presidency

Following the death of Jerry Falwell Sr. in 2007, a succession plan was put into effect, entrusting Jerry Jr. with Liberty University. Jerry Sr.'s other son, Jonathan Falwell, inherited the ministry at Thomas Road Baptist Church. This division of responsibilities was based on each son's personality: Jerry Jr. was seen as having aggressive business instincts, while Jonathan was considered more charismatic and interested in ministry.

Liberty University Under Falwell Jr.

Under Falwell Jr.'s leadership, Liberty University experienced significant changes and growth. The university's assets rose from $259 million in 2007 to over $2.5 billion by 2020, driven largely by online tuition and aggressive facility expansion financed through bonds. However, this period was also marked by increasing scrutiny and controversy.

Allegations of Authoritarian Control, Nepotism, and Influence

Falwell Jr.'s leadership style came under fire for alleged authoritarian control over employees and students. Accusations of nepotism arose regarding the school's investments in Falwell family-owned businesses, and concerns grew over the increasing influence of Falwell's wife, Becki, in school affairs.

Read also: Liberty University Fees

A 2019 Politico article described the university as a "dictatorship" where Falwell ruled through fear. The article also reported that the university had sold merchandise promoting Donald Trump's presidential campaign.

Financial Dealings and Lawsuits

Beginning in 2001, Falwell established two companies for the purpose of making property deals with Liberty-affiliated nonprofits, and his two sons and their wives were on Liberty's payroll.

After his departure, Liberty opened an investigation into his past personal entanglement in the school's finances and real estate. On April 15, 2021, Liberty University sued Falwell for $40 million in damages for breach of contract and violation of fiduciary duty.

In November 2021, Falwell revived his defamation lawsuit against Liberty University. He has also sued the University in an attempt to receive $8.5 million in retirement funds, claiming that he met every requirement agreed upon in the Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan to receive payment. He would go on to sue the school again for the alleged exploitation of the trademark and image of his father, Jerry Falwell Sr., without consulting the Falwell family or "authorization of the Dr. Jerry L.

Controversies and Scandals

Falwell Jr.'s tenure was marked by several controversies and scandals that ultimately led to his departure from Liberty University.

Read also: History of Liberty's Flames

Personal Conduct and Allegations

Falwell's personal conduct became a source of controversy. According to one Liberty official, Falwell was "very, very vocal" about his "sex life." This official recalled a car ride during which Falwell spoke about his sexual encounters with his wife in explicit detail.

In March 2012, Falwell and his wife and children stayed at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach luxury hotel, where Falwell's wife met and became friends with Giancarlo Granda, a twenty-year-old man who worked there as a pool attendant.

COVID-19 Response

In March 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic led to widespread closures of schools and universities, Falwell defied those who called for such measures. Despite concerns from the university's lead physician, Thomas W. Eppes Jr., Falwell insisted on keeping the university open. Falwell said the university administration had "no idea" how many other students had returned to off-campus housing. By March 30, Eppes reported that almost a dozen returning students had symptoms of COVID-19, eight students had been told to self-isolate, three had been tested, and one student (who lived off campus) had tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.

Mask Controversy

In May 2020, after Virginia governor Ralph Northam implemented a mask mandate amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Falwell criticized the mandate and tweeted a picture of a custom mask with Northam wearing blackface.

Alleged Affair and Resignation

In late August, Reuters contacted Falwell and his wife with their initial reporting on his wife's alleged affair with the pool attendant they had met in 2012. The man, now 29 years old, said he began a sexual relationship with the Falwells when he was 20. He claimed that the affair started the same month he met the couple, in March 2012, and continued into 2018. He claimed to have had "frequent" sexual encounters with Becki Falwell while Jerry Falwell Jr. was present.

Amid the scandal, Falwell initially took an "indefinite leave of absence" but ultimately resigned as president of Liberty University in August 2020.

Aftermath and Legal Battles

Following his resignation, Falwell sued Liberty University for damaging his reputation, but later dropped the lawsuit. On April 15, 2021, Liberty University sued him for $40 million for breach of contract and fiduciary duty.

In January 2022, Falwell Jr. and his wife, Becki Tilley, spoke about their scandal in an interview with Vanity Fair. Tilley admitted to a three-year affair with the pool attendant, Giancarlo Granda, starting in March 2012 and continuing through 2014. She said they met when Granda was working at the Fontainebleau hotel in Miami Beach, and that they had made sex tapes with each other. Falwell said that he once walked in on his wife and the pool attendant having sex; he called it "traumatizing," though he had stayed to watch the couple. Tilley said that Granda pressured her into sex on one occasion in 2018 although she "kept saying no", and she realized later it could be considered assault.

Political Involvement and Endorsements

Falwell Jr. was known for his involvement in Republican politics and his endorsement of Donald Trump.

Endorsement of Donald Trump

On January 26, 2016, Falwell endorsed Donald Trump for the Republican nomination in the 2016 presidential election, causing some Liberty University alumni and other evangelicals to suggest that Falwell had "sold his soul". It was later revealed that Falwell made his endorsement after Trump's personal lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen had helped the university president recover compromising photos of himself.

On July 21, 2016, at the RNC convention in Cleveland, Ohio, Falwell called Trump "America's blue-collar billionaire" and "one of the greatest visionaries of our time", and said he was the candidate most likely to defend the "right to bear arms", "stop Iran…from becoming a nuclear power", and "appoint conservative pro-life justices to the Supreme Court".

After Trump won the election, a group called the Red Letter Christians criticized Falwell for his pivotal role in "forging the alliance between white evangelicals and Donald J.

In August 2017, following a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Falwell defended President Trump, saying that he didn't have "a racist bone in his body," adding that the president was being attacked by "thin-skinned Americans": "You know, he's a little abrasive sometimes in the way he says things, and we have some thin-skinned Americans sometimes who ignore the substance of what he's saying because they're put off by his demeanor," Falwell said.

Other Political Views

In June 2016, Falwell expressed support for Israel when Liberty University moved to invest $5 million of its endowment in Israel.

Speaking of the 2015 San Bernardino attack, Falwell stated during the university's 2015 convocation that if "some of those people had got what I have in my back pocket right now," the attack would not have happened. He said that he was astounded that Barack Obama believed more gun control was the best response to the attack. His comments were criticized by both Christians and Muslims. According to one report, Falwell was only heard saying, "then we could end those Muslims before they walked in", with the "and killed them" part drowned out by applause.

In April 2009, following the Miss USA same-sex marriage controversy, Falwell offered a full scholarship to Carrie Prejean, a beauty pageant contestant who stated during the Miss USA pageant: Well I think it's great that Americans are able to choose one way or the other. We live in a land where you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite marriage. You know what, in my country, in my family, I think I believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman, no offense to anybody out there.

Liberty University: An Overview

Liberty University (LU), known simply as Liberty, is a conservative, private evangelical Christian university in Lynchburg, Virginia, United States. It is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention of Virginia (Southern Baptist Convention). Founded in 1971 by Jerry Falwell Sr. and Elmer L. Liberty University consists of 17 colleges, including the Helms School of Government and the Rawlings School of Divinity. Most of its enrollment is in online courses; in 2020, the university enrolled about 15,000 in its residential program and 80,000 online. Its high number of students can be explained in particular by its tuition fees, which are among the lowest in the United States. Liberty's athletic teams compete in Division I of the NCAA and are collectively known as the Liberty Flames. The university requires undergraduate students to take three evangelical biblical studies classes. Its honor code, called the "Liberty Way", prohibits premarital sex, cohabitation, any kind of romantic relationship between members of the same sex, and alcohol use. It places a strong emphasis on creationism. Liberty University is perceived as a "bastion of the Christian right", playing a prominent role in Republican politics under Falwell and his son and successor Jerry Falwell Jr.; Falwell Jr. left in 2020 amid allegations of sexual and professional impropriety and was later sued by the university. Dondi E.

Key Features and Policies

The university is governed by a 30-member board of trustees that includes Jonathan Falwell, the son and brother (respectively) of the two former university presidents. Unlike most other research universities, faculty (outside the law school) are not offered tenure, giving them less influence in governing the university than is common. Most teachers are adjunct labor.

Liberty University is a conservative Evangelical college, which is reflected in its honor code and other policies. Words and actions indicating "LGBT states of mind" are prohibited for students as of the 2021 version of The Liberty Way, the student handbook. Sexual relations are only permitted in a Biblically ordained marriage between a man and a woman. The school says it does not engage in unlawful discrimination or harassment because of race, color, ancestry, religion, age, sex, national origin, pregnancy or childbirth, disability or military veteran status.

Attendance is mandatory for residential undergraduate and graduate students and commuter students under 21 years of age. They must report to their assigned Resident Assistant and sit in their assigned section, though they may skip Convocation once per semester if they notify their Resident Assistant at least 24 hours in advance. Convocation guests have included pastors, athletes, motivational speakers, and political speakers, who are usually conservative.

Academics and Rankings

In 2017, Forbes's list of America's Top Colleges ranked Liberty University No. 585 of 650 "Top Colleges", No. 231 as a "Research University", 371 as a "Private College", and 136 "in the South". Within the Rawlings School, Liberty Theological Seminary administers the graduate, postgraduate, doctoral, and certificate divinity programs. The School of Behavioral Sciences includes four departments: Community Care & Counseling, Counselor Education & Family Studies, Psychology, and Social Work. It has an acceptance rate of 38%.

According to the College Scorecard, Liberty University has a graduation rate of 40%. Median salary 10 years after attending is $48,813, with B.S. Computer Science earning a median salary of $116,280 after 5 years. 64% earn more than a high school graduate.

Campus and Facilities

The 17-story, 245-foot Freedom Tower, completed in February 2018, is the tallest building in Lynchburg. The Hancock Welcome Center celebrated its ribbon cutting ceremony on December 7, 2012. It is a three-level, 33,000-square-foot Jeffersonian-style building featuring an atrium, boardroom, theater, lounges, a banquet hall, several smaller counseling rooms, and a patio with a view of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The Jerry Falwell Sr. Construction was completed in August 2009 on the Liberty Mountain Snowflex Centre, a synthetic ski slope featuring Snowflex; the centre was designed by England's Briton Engineering.

The Observatory Center opened in spring 2013 next to the Equestrian Center. The dome has a classroom that can fit up to 20 people. The observatory serves three purposes: instruction, public nights and research. The four-story, 170,000-square-foot Jerry Falwell Library opened in January 2014 with more than 250,000 items and room for another 170,000. They are accessible via a robot-assisted storage and retrieval system, which locates requested items within a large storage room and delivers them to the front desk. There are 150 public computers throughout the building for electronic archive research. The library has group study rooms, writable walls, balconies, terraces, and a vegetative roof.

The National Civil War Chaplains Museum contains exhibits about clergy members and religious activity during the Civil War era. It is the only museum in the nation devoted to this purpose. The museum commemorates Catholic, Protestant, and Jewish chaplains (including African-American chaplains), and houses publications and artifacts from both the Union and Confederate militaries.

Jerry Falwell Sr.: The Founder

Jerry Laymon Falwell, born August 11, 1933, and died May 15, 2007, was an American Baptist pastor, televangelist, and conservative activist. He was the founding pastor of the Thomas Road Baptist Church, a megachurch in Lynchburg, Virginia. Falwell co-founded Liberty University with Elmer L. Falwell with President George H. W.

Falwell met Macel Pate on his first visit to Park Avenue Baptist Church in 1949; Macel was a pianist there. They married on April 12, 1958. The couple had two sons, Jerry Jr. and Jonathan.

In 1956, aged 22, Falwell founded the Thomas Road Baptist Church. Originally at 701 Thomas Road in Lynchburg, with 35 members, it became a megachurch. Also in 1956, Falwell began The Old-Time Gospel Hour, a nationally syndicated radio and television ministry.

In 1971, Falwell co-founded Liberty University with Elmer L.

Falwell may be best known outside Lynchburg for his political activism. In June 1979, he organized the Moral Majority, a conservative political lobbying group that was pro-life, pro-family, pro-Israel, and favored a strong national defense.

Falwell passed away on the morning of May 15, 2007, at the age of 73. He was married for 49 years to Macel Pate Falwell, who died in 2015 at the age of 82.

Legacy and Views

Views on Falwell's legacy are mixed. Supporters praise his advancement of his socially conservative message. They tout his evangelist ministries and his stress on church planting and growth.

During the 1950s and 1960s, Falwell spoke and campaigned against the civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. and the racial desegregation of public school systems by the federal government.

In 1977, Falwell supported Anita Bryant's "Save Our Children" campaign to overturn an ordinance in Dade County, Florida, prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Twenty-eight years later, during a 2005 MSNBC television appearance, Falwell said he was not troubled by reports that the nominee for Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, John G. Roberts, had done volunteer legal work for gay rights activists in the case Romer v. Evans. Falwell told then-MSNBC host Tucker Carlson that if he were a lawyer, he too would argue for civil rights for LGBT people.

Falwell repeatedly denounced certain teachings in public schools and secular education in general, calling them breeding grounds for atheism, secularism, and humanism, which he claimed to be in contradiction with Christian morality.

Falwell condemned homosexuality as forbidden by the Bible. After comedian and actress Ellen DeGeneres came out as a lesbian, Falwell referred to her in a sermon as "Ellen DeGenerate". DeGeneres responded, "Really, he called me that? Ellen DeGenerate? I've been getting that since the fourth grade.

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