Jerry Falwell, Jr., the former president of Liberty University, may have resigned in disgrace in 2020 following a sex scandal, but he now has a $15.3 million payment from the school to show for it.
en un IRS filing provided by the Lynchburg, Virginia, school to El Informe Roys (TRR), Liberty said it paid Falwell, son of the school’s late founder, the money in 2024 to settle lawsuits the former leader filed against it.
Falwell Jr., a prominent support of 2016 GOP presidential candidate Donald J. Trump, became embroiled in scandals in 2020 after social media posts emerged showing him with his arm around his wife’s assistant while holding a drink. Consuming alcohol is forbidden on campus.
An extramarital relationship between Becki Falwell and Giancarlo Granda surfaced shortly thereafter and Falwell Jr., who had been on leave from Liberty over the social media photo, resigned.
The payments, which are listed near the end of Liberty’s 130-page 2023 tax filing, include $9,784,077 in “non-qualified retirement” plan payments and $5,550,000 in an accrued settlement. In a footnote, the school said it “adjusted its claimed receivable amount for reimbursement of certain disputed expenses down to $440,000” against Falwell Jr., who paid that amount.
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Falwell Jr. sued Liberty in 2023 claiming nearly $8.5 million in retirement benefits he claimed the school improperly denied him. The former president, a son of Liberty founder Dr. Jerry Falwell, Sr., had been the school’s vice chancellor and general counsel since 1988. He succeeded as school president when his father died in 2007.
On behalf of a family trust, Falwell also sued the school in 2023 over its use of the “name, image and trademark” of the senior Falwell. The suit also charged the school with using “his handwriting and signature … and even using casts” of the elder Falwell’s footprints for a campus “walking tour,” according to a media report on the legal action.
In a statement at the time, Falwell Jr. said Liberty took these actions “without authorization, and in an undignified manner that seems to attempt to aggrandize and deify my father in a fawning way that he would never have wanted or approved.”
The two parties announced a settlement of the lawsuits in 2024, and in a news release llamado the pact “a global resolution agreement settling all outstanding disputes on both legal and personal matters.”
The school did not disclose the payments when the settlement was announced but said both sides “agree that further comment on the lawsuits and their resolution is neither necessary nor constructive.”
News of the $15.3 million settlement was first reportado por EE.UU. Hoy en día.
Contacted by TRR on May 20, Ryan Helfenbein, Liberty’s vice president of communications and public engagement, said the school had no additional comment on the settlement and referred a reporter to the 2024 news release.
An attorney for Falwell told TRR, “We are not permitted to comment” on the settlement.
Liberty, founded in 1971, is one of the nation’s largest Christian universities. The school says total enrollment “exceeds 140,000” and includes “40,000 military-affiliated students.” Most students are enrolled online, but thousands attend the Lynchburg campus.
Note: The portion of the Liberty’s formulario de impuestos 990 regarding Jerry Falwell Jr. is on pages 107 and 108 under “Business transactions involving interested persons.” This article has been updated to note a response from Falwell’s attorney.
Mark A. Kellner is a reporter based in Mesquite, Nevada. He most recently covered statewide elections for the Correo de Nueva York and was for three years the Faith & Family Reporter for el tiempo de washington. Mark is a graduate of the University of the Cumberlands and also attended Boston University’s College of Communication.
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30 Responses
Jerry Falwell Jr had cameras installed too where he could watch a 19 year old pool boy have sex with his wife.
With the only restriction being there’s no PIV and he could watch.
Like Doug Phillips ESQUIRE doing his Commander’s Handmaid, as long as there was no PIV it wasn’t really sex, wasn’t really adultery, and wasn’t really sinful. “Loophole! Loophole!”
Ah, the Lifestyles of the Rich and Godly…
Well Jerry and Sinful friends, Give most of that $ to the hurting and Needy, and Tell Jesus Your Truely sorry, from the bottom of your heart, and some of the Church will love you, but Most of All, Jesus will forgive you, AND, you’ll have treasure in Heaven.
Thanks Roys report, for your hard Work
Junior won’t do that. He will probably use some of that money to install a new pool and hire some more help to maintain the pool (and do some other “work” on the side).
Apply that standard to all christians in a position to help those in need, it is one of our responsibilities serving under God, not only those receiving settlements.
Yikes! Another tuition increase for those students.
Also, while I see Jerry Jr as a greedy, unseemly human, I can see where he’d be mad about the school making his deceased father into a celebrity. I wonder if JW senior’s footprints are some kind of Christianized, holy pilgrimage version of Hollywood’s Walk of Fame for the ultra conservative.
Crime doesn’t pay.
But evangelical corruption can make you wealthy.
Is there one person in the entire U.S. Evangelical White church concerned about this corrupt payment to Falwell…??
The next question is why are so many people sending their kids to Liberty University….???
My guess is most Evangelicals just do not have a good system of ethics or morality… yes they go to church… but who cares…?
“The next question is why are so many people sending their kids to Liberty University….???”
Based in the AI answers on Google I have found that over 16,000 are on campus and 127,000 online. So my first guess is that just about anyone can get in as long as they have some money and my second guess is that there are so many people there and they have aggressive recruitment tactics.
I also remember the old line that many Evangelical Christian parents would send their daughters to Christian institutions to get their MRS degree.
Anything and I mean Anything! is more tolerable than having to interact with fellow students or professors who don’t share your religious, political or cultural opinions (ie anyone to the left of you)… or hearing evolution being taught or ethical issues around pregnancy…
(I acknowledge some of this is sarcasm… but not much…)
I disagree with this settlement to Falwell Jr. I wonder who orchestrated it and whether or not it was intended to be a belated severance package.
But hey when you have a degree mill as big as Liberty you have the money to do it.
I suspect Junior knows where the bodies are buried (as he help bury them – with the help and knowledge of the trustees, board, and other leadership). This payout prevents things from getting out (either via court discovery in the lawsuit or otherwise). This money ensure that Junior will go away quietly. Think of it as a resolution to have both parties survive and walk away from mutually assured destruction.
Thank you, Roys Report. I hope he has truly repented. Just another reason why I have severe doubts about Christian Fundalmentalism and Christian Nationalism.
You’re right Charles. This kind of thing never happens in your circles, whatever your circles are…
He deserved it! Built that organization from the ground up. Today, LU has a the largest endowment in the state of Virginia. Bigger than UVA! Christians can be such small-minded people. Unwilling to forgive. Petty. Just put this in a business context. The man earned it. It was a nice gesture to make sure he received a reward that was well deserved and earned. And yes, my kids went to Liberty when he was President. I know the full story. Doesn’t change my mind. People learn and grow. Get over it.
I see when it come to choosing between Jesus and Mammon, you have made your choice. Opposite of mine, but when it comes to sheep and goats I am not pulling for the goats. Ignore evil all you want. It will not ignore you. And Jesus, as He is holy, does not either.
“Who cares…who cares. This country was built and run by men with worse stories you can image or hear.” Bert Cooper ‘Mad Men’
As you may be aware Cooper had a copy of ‘Atlas Shrugged’ by Ayn Rand on his book self and occasionally would recommend it to to both under and over achievers.
Rand, as you may be aware, “built” a name for herself within the atheists and practical atheist community and had a personal life and world view/philosophy that was completely at odds with the tenets of biblical Christianity, and more specifically, the life and teachings of Jesus who said (and lived out) that faith, selfless service to God and others, love, grace, and humility are Kingdom values and the only things that transcends this short life.
Rand was a Cult Leader, pure and simple.
And Atlas Shrugged is Objectivist SCRIPTURE.
When Sears was circling the drain before its final plunge to join the Titanic, its CEO tried to turn it around with Mandatory SCRIPTURE Study for all executives, the SCRIPTURE being Atlas Shrugged.
Where has he confessed to his sin? There is nothing you brainless sycophants won’t allow in the support of degenerate leaders.
You just called me a “brainless sycophant!” There is a passage in the Bible that talks about love if I recall. It says something about “not having love” and if you don’t have love it doesn’t matter how right you are. You are like completely useless and lacking everything. Something like that. I will have to see if I can find that passage and get back to you. But you seem to qualify as a gonging symbol of uselessness. Oh well. Carry on.
He earned nothing but scorn for his behavior. Forgiveness if he asks for and repents, of course, but reward for despicable, reprehensible behavior for a person at the helm of a supposedly Christian college??? A school where you can be expelled for the very behaviors he and his wife continually took part in for years? A flagrant disregard of the teachings of Jesus, misuse and reprehensible use of funds, greed and corruption…to wink at, or “get over it” in your words and reward this behavior is what is wrong with “Christianity” and so called Christian circles today. We are not much of a light for Christ anymore and are turning people away in droves. We are not shining a light whatsoever when we behave in this way or reward it. So much of his life there left a horrific stain and he should never have sued. But we seem to reward greed these days. He’s probably learned from his buddy trump that evil behavior is fine and suing gives incredible payback. No one should ever “get over” or wink at any of this. Especially those who call themselves followers of Jesus.
Anyone remember the picture that started it all? Junior at a costume party on some yacht whose theme was some Canadian sitcom about trailer park antics? With his arm around some similarly-costumed bimbo and a glass of what he called “black water” in his hand?
AKA Rich White Trash cosplays Poor White Trash.
I remember that picture. Junior was channeling his inner trailer park life on that one. Not sure if the bimbo was named Tanqueray (HT: an old Beaves & ****head reference).
Would you be singing the same tune about Junior if your daughter was raped or abused at the school and the school leadership and Junior treated her like they did other victims of those crimes. I am sure Joe Paterno and Jerry Sandusky also helped grow Penn State’s endowment with their success.
I’m sorry, Paul! It escapes me which command of Christ requires that I put a huge reward for sin – because he was not dismissed for building a huge financial organization; he was dismissed for actions against the principles of that supposed Christian organization – into a business context?
Exactly why did you send your kids there? (My dad was relieved when I reversed my early decision to go there as many of my friends did.) And, more to the point of the root of your stated opinion, what has been your personal involvement/entanglement with LU? And, further, you wouldn’t happen to be an SBC preacher, would you?
Thanks for any clarification that you are willing to provide!
David, you are funny guy. I am not an SBC pastor. And I have no ties to the school. But my kids got a great education there and are doing great in life. I’m grateful for the school and everyone who labored to build it and create the environment that is LU. I don’t need them to be perfect. Nobody is. Including YOU! But carry on.
The environment where rape and abuse victims were shamed and destroyed by the university administration and leadership? That environment? But I guess it doesn’t matter if a bunch of women there got destroyed by the administration for being the victims of rape and abuse, right?
As they say on the internet “Cool story bro!”
Does Liberty have a mission and values statement? If so, can it now be assumed that at best its simply a motherhood statement? 🤔
Jerry Jr. admitted in a Vanity Fair article after he was ousted that he’s not a believer. So basically he was focused on building a thriving school — which he did. Liberty provides a fantastic education. Their facilities and professors are top-notch. His actions indicate a sad, depraved soul. I’m glad he’s gone — and he can have the $15MM settlement if he indeed did earn it for the enormous success he brought to the school. Now the school can truly thrive and produce champions for Christ. Just as God used Cyrus to accomplish His plans, He has used the fallen and sordid Jerry Jr. to accomplish great things at LU. I’d rather send my money there than to Harvard, that’s for sure!