Jerry Falwell Jr. On 'Indefinite Leave' From Liberty University : NPR
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
August 7, 20206:06 PM ET
Sarah McCammon
Twitter Enlarge this image
Jerry Falwell Jr. delivers a speech during the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images hide caption
toggle caption Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Jerry Falwell Jr. delivers a speech during the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland.
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Jerry Falwell Jr., a prominent evangelical ally of President Trump's, is taking "an indefinite leave of absence" from his positions as the president and chancellor of Liberty University in Virginia.
The move comes days after Falwell received criticism for posting a photo to social media that showed him with his pants unzipped alongside a woman who is not his wife.
In a brief statement, Liberty University said members of its board of trustees had met Friday and asked Falwell to step down from his positions "effective immediately," and that Falwell had agreed. Falwell did not immediately respond to requests for comment from NPR.
Falwell faced criticism this week from both conservative and liberal commentators after posting the controversial photo to his Instagram account. Meghan McCain, daughter of the late Republican Sen. John McCain, tweeted, "How is this Jerry Falwell Jr. photo even real? Also if you're running the largest Christian university in America maybe don't put photos of yourself on social media with your pants undone on a yacht - with random women in bad wigs. So gross, so hypocritical."
Falwell told the Lynchburg, Va., radio station WLNI on Wednesday that the photo, which was later removed, was taken in "just in good fun" during a costume party on vacation. He said the woman in the photo was his wife's assistant.
"It was weird," Falwell told the interviewer. "She's pregnant, so she couldn't get her pants zipped. I had on a pair of jeans I hadn't worn in a long time, so I couldn't get mine zipped either. So I just put my belly out like hers."
Politics
At Liberty, Trump Calls Critics 'Pathetic,' Praises Putting 'Faith Into Action'
Falwell said the woman is a "sweetheart" and expressed regret about embarrassing her. He said he'd "apologized to everybody" and promised to "try to be a good boy" from now on.
Falwell is the son of the late Rev. Jerry Falwell, who founded the evangelical Christian Liberty University and the conservative Moral Majority movement that rose to prominence in the Reagan era.
Falwell Jr. was among the first prominent evangelicals to endorse Donald Trump during his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016.
- white eva
- Jerry Falwell
- liberty university
- trump
- evangelicals
- Donald Trump
Tags
Who is online
307 visitors
Bad enough to see him with his pants unzipped and a drink in his hand, which of course, it merely a Pepsi....ahem....but, he has his arm around an obviously young girl, with his right hand very familiarly near her right boob, and with her pants unzipped as well.
Yeah.....I'm sure his God is very proud of how Mr Falwell Jr. is so proudly displaying his undying love and faith in Him.
I kew a few Preachers like that....one even tried to get me to run away and elope with him when I was only 14 y/o, and he was old enough to be my Grandfather.
Gotta love them CINOs.
SMH
I heard that she is his wife and pregnant.
I saw an article where he said the drink was Black Water.
He said she's his wife's assistant, and is pregnant.
Yeah, that was his comment on the pic when he posted it.
The article I read said that part of the problem, besides his unzipped pants, was that the girl is not his wife. So it does sort of look like adultery on his part as well.
Could be, but.....from the looks of the picture, it looks like a party mood with a bit of a nip. Looking at the picture, and how things stand at that point, Black Water just does not fit the scenario.
Oh ok.
His excuse, I should say.
... another bible thumping hypocrite.
There are way too many t's in that post.
LOL
Trump wants everyone to know he wishes Jerry Falwell Jr. well.
OMG, I can't unsee the photos. Bleach more bleach, please.
Isnt Liberty University where Trump gave his famous "two corinthians" speech ?
Indeed it is.
Never cared for Jerry Falwell Sr or Jr. Junior is a chip off the old block so to speak. Megachurches pastors are some of the biggest money grubbing scumbags around! More than willing to tell others how they should run their lives in the service of God while they are living it up on jets and yachts paid for by their congregations tax free donations! Makes me sick!
Here's a treat:
I don't have a problem with drunk as a skunk. I have a problem with a sleaze bag like this hiding his true character behind a cross.
"Black water," my ass.
Raw Story (yes, yes, I know) just posted some comments from a Liberty U student pointing out his hypocrisy. Students would be subject to a fine, "community service", or expulsion for possessing alcohol or being in a state of undress with a member of the opposite sex.
I believe that NT has a member who will refuse to believe this story even with the photos and audio.
KARMA
Anyone who defends this guy, is vicariously defending their own lack of character. Like I said: Drunk as a skunk? Fine. Stay home and be safe. Wanna wiggle your pickle in as many jars as possible? I'm not here to judge. Like to watch your wife shag the pool boy (oh...and take an as many photos as possible...and then have to hire Michael Cohen to 'make the problem go away'...), that's just dandy. Live and let live. But when equally...festive...behavior in others is condemned with a cross and an AMEN!, that's where I have a problem.
BTW, have you seen the full image in question? If that gal is wearing 'pants', I'm a real nun.
OMG, now I need a gallon of brain bleach.
Yes, I have and if those are 'pants' I'm Pope Kavika the First.
Just a gallon!???
Ha!!
How do you say 'pope' in Ojibwe?
You can buy it in bulk at Sam's and save a fortune!
Probably easier to stick with the English version, but if you insist here ya go. mayaamawi-niigaanizid gichi-mekadewikwanaye
You are sooooooooooo right. Pope, it is.
People will forgive this pos faux christian money grubbing sack of shit
Not only will they forgive him, they will continue to send him money like the morons they are.
Why don't you tell us what you really think of him? Stop shilly-shallying!
OK that's the story he told the press but is that really the story he told his wife?
Just in your mind - consider how that scenario would play out with your significant other.
"You know honey - it's really funny how that happened ..."
I wonder if he remembers the Bible story about the talking ass...
As my sainted grandmother would say, ''if bullshit were dollar bills that boy would be independently wealthy''.
Hmmmm, the air suddenly smells better.
He's been getting away with this shit for years.
I wonder what happened behind the scenes, for his tame Board to abandon him.
they probably found out who the father of his wife's assistant expected child was
... and he's Black...