Jerry Falwell Jr. drops defamation lawsuit against Liberty University
Jerry Falwell Jr. has dropped his defamation lawsuit against Liberty University, saying in a statement Thursday that he has decided “to take a timeout” from the suit while keeping his options open. Falwell sued his former employer Oct. 28 in Lynchburg Circuit Court, claiming that the university made defamatory statements about him in the wake […]
Liberty raises $2M during inaugural Giving Day campaign
Liberty University raised more than $2 million on Nov. 17 during its inaugural Giving Day, an all-day fundraising campaign for academic departments, athletics programs and student scholarships, the university announced Friday. The university raised $2.003 million from more than 6,000 donors. Funding will go toward more than 100 campaign initiatives on campus. “The response to […]
Falwell sues Liberty University, claiming defamation
Jerry Falwell Jr. filed a lawsuit Wednesday in Lynchburg against Liberty University, claiming his former employer made defamatory statements about him. He also alleges in the lawsuit that his former business partner, Giancarlo Granda, who had a highly publicized affair with Falwell’s wife, has conspired against Falwell with “politically motivated backers,” including the political[...]
Liberty University finance probe issues call for whistleblowers
A firm conducting an investigation at Liberty University will use an encrypted website to allow anonymous whistleblower complaints focused on financial misconduct by “current or former members of university leadership,” the university announced Tuesday night. Chicago-based public accounting firm Baker Tilly US began its probe of the Lynchburg-based Christian university in early Septemb[...]
Liberty pays Falwell two years’ base salary in severance deal
Liberty University announced Tuesday that it has paid Jerry Falwell Jr., its embattled and controversial former president and chancellor, two years’ base salary as severance. Falwell resigned on Aug. 25 under a barrage of international media coverage of his alleged role in a sex scandal involving his wife’s admitted affair with a former pool attendant […]
Fall enrollment down nearly 10% at community colleges
Early estimates indicate that fall enrollment at Virginia’s community colleges is down nearly 10% compared to fall 2019, and down by 6.6% at private four-year universities, according to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia in a study released Tuesday. However, public four-year universities are holding steady, with enrollment down by only 0.2%. The […]
BREAKING: Liberty board says outside firm will investigate university’s finances
The Liberty University Board of Trustees announced a “leading forensic firm” will conduct an investigation into the university’s operations during Jerry Falwell Jr.‘s 13-year tenure as president. The firm, which is not named in the statement, will investigate financial, real estate and legal matters from Falwell’s time as president, the board said in a statement [&hel[...]
Education
MAKOLA M. ABDULLAH PRESIDENT, VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY, PETERSBURG One of the state’s two land-grant universities, Virginia State was originally chartered in 1882 as the Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute. From an initial class of 126, the Petersburg campus now has 4,385 undergraduate and graduate students. Since arriving in 2016 from his role as provost and […]
UPDATED: After back and forth, Falwell has resigned from Liberty
Updated 2:30 p.m., Aug. 25 Liberty University confirmed Tuesday afternoon that Jerry Falwell Jr. has resigned as president, chancellor and member of its board of directors. According to a news release, the embattled evangelical leader sent a letter of resignation late Monday to members of the Board of Trustees’ executive committee. The Board of Trustees […]
UPDATED: After saying resignation reports were ‘false,’ Falwell reportedly resigns
Update, Aug. 25: According to an interview with ABC News late Monday, Falwell says he has tendered his letter of resignation as president of Liberty University. Earlier: Although other news outlets have reported that Jerry Falwell Jr. has agreed to resign as president and chancellor of Liberty University, Falwell said in an interview Monday evening with […]
UPDATED: Ex-associate claims sexual relationship involving Jerry and Becki Falwell
RELATED STORY: Despite saying earlier Monday that reports of his resignation were “completely false,” Jerry Falwell Jr. said in a late-night interview with ABC News that he tendered his resignation as president of Liberty University late Monday night. Updated, 1:30 p.m. Aug 24 A former business associate of Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. said in […]
Liberty board confirms Jerry Falwell Jr.’s indefinite leave
Update, Aug. 24: In a statement, Jerry Falwell Jr. alleges former friend blackmailed his family over affair with Falwell’s wife. At a special meeting Friday, Liberty University‘s Board of Trustees affirmed the terms of Jerry Falwell Jr.’s indefinite leave of absence and the terms of employment for the school’s acting president, Jerry Prevo. “The decision […]