Jerry Falwell Jr. Drops Defamation Lawsuit Against Liberty University

By Jack Jenkins
Jerry Falwell
Jerry Falwell Jr. speaks at the 2nd Annual Turning Point USA Winter Gala at the Mar-A-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida, on Dec. 18, 2019. Photo by Gage Skidmore/Creative Commons

Former Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. has dropped a lawsuit in which he claimed the school he once led defamed him after he resigned this summer in the wake of a sex scandal.

According to the News & Advance, Falwell’s lawyers informed the Lynchburg Circuit Court on Wednesday that he will not pursue his case against the school. The case revolved around allegations of a sexual relationship involving himself, his wife and a former business associate that were repeated by school officials — allegations Falwell insists are false.

“I’ve decided to take a time out from my litigation against Liberty University, but I will continue to keep all options on the table for an appropriate resolution to the matter,” Falwell said in a statement to the News & Advance on Thursday.

In the original suit, filed in October, Falwell claimed the school’s board pressured him to resign without properly investigating the allegations made against him.

“By forcing Mr. Falwell’s resignation from Liberty immediately following (Giancarlo) Granda’s false and defamatory statements, Liberty sent the unmistakable message to the public that Granda’s false statements were, in fact, true,” the suit read.

Give a gift of $25 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive a copy of “I Can’t Hear God Anymore: Life in A Dallas Cult” by Wendy Duncan. To donate, click here.

The business associate, Giancarlo Granda, told reporters that he had a years-long affair with Falwell’s wife, Becki, and that Falwell Jr. also sometimes participated as a voyeur.

Falwell has denied that claim and alleged Granda tried to extort his family — an accusation Granda denied.

SHARE THIS:
  •   
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  

GET EMAIL UPDATES!

Keep in touch with Julie and get updates in your inbox!

Don’t worry we won’t spam you.

More to explore
discussion

4 thoughts on “Jerry Falwell Jr. Drops Defamation Lawsuit Against Liberty University”

  1. Discovery is a wonderful thing. Bet you are there dozens of witnesses and all kinds of emails, pics, videos. I am sure the pool boy was only the latest of many young bulls for Junior’s wife. I would not be surprised if the entire LU football team was involved.

  2. The sad part of this is the fat financial package Jerry received with his exit. Why would anyone in their right mind ever donate to anything to do with Liberty ever again?

The Roys Report seeks to foster thoughtful and respectful dialogue. Toward that end, the site requires that people use their full name when commenting. Also, any comments with profanity, name-calling, and/or a nasty tone will be deleted.

Comments are limited to 300 words.

Leave a Reply

The Roys Report seeks to foster thoughtful and respectful dialogue. Toward that end, the site requires that people register before they begin commenting. This means no anonymous comments will be allowed. Also, any comments with profanity, name-calling, and/or a nasty tone will be deleted.
 
MOST RECENT Articles
MOST popular articles
en_USEnglish

Donate

Hi. We see this is the third article this month you’ve found worth reading. Great! Would you consider making a tax-deductible donation to help our journalists continue to report the truth and restore the church?

Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. Give a gift of $30 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive a copy of “Escaping the Maze of Spiritual Abuse” by Dr. Lisa Oakley and Justin Humphreys.