Jerry Falwell Jr. is asking a court in Virginia to dismiss a lawsuit Liberty University filed over his headline-grabbing departure last year as leader of the evangelical school his father founded.
Falwell claims in a court filing that much of Liberty’s suit serves only to keep shaming him after a provocative photo of him came to light and revelations surfaced of his wife’s extramarital affair, The News & Advance in Lynchburg reported Thursday.
Falwell claims the suit focuses on his wife’s personal life while not addressing his “actions as the leader of Liberty.”
“The rehashing of these events and protected defamation of Falwell through litigation serves one mission — ruining Falwell’s reputation through mischaracterization of events and public shaming through out-of-context pictures filed in a public complaint,” according to Tuesday’s filing in Lynchburg Circuit Court.
Falwell’s departure in August came after a news outlet published an interview with a man who said he had a years-long sexual relationship with Becki Falwell and that Jerry Falwell participated in some of the liaisons as a voyeur. Falwell denied the report.
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The school filed its suit in April, seeking tens of millions in damages. Liberty claims Falwell crafted a “well-resourced exit strategy” from his role as president and chancellor in the form of a lucrative 2019 employment agreement while withholding damaging information about the personal scandal that exploded into public view the following year.
The agreement included a $1.5 million raise and a $2.5 million severance package.
“Despite his clear duties as an executive and officer at Liberty, Falwell Jr. chose personal protection,” the lawsuit says.
The suit also alleges that Falwell failed to disclose and address “the issue of his personal impairment by alcohol” and has refused to fully return confidential information and other personal property belonging to Liberty.
Falwell said in Tuesday’s filing that he had no duty to tell the university about private matters.
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5 Responses
It’s awfully hypocritical that he can state he has no duty to tell the university about his private life given there is a strong code of conduct that does regulate behavior in your private life (away from any official capacity you have at Liberty) for both employees and students. Like that great hymn by Cyndi Lauper, “I see your true colors shining through…” but that’s not why we love you.
????
I think Falwell Jr. shamed himself. He certainly didn’t need outside help with that!
This is a perfect example of how narcissist leaders feel very, very little shame. They simply refuse it which is how they can keep acting like little Devils all of their life. They have the character of Satan himself. They learn from the very worst that there is. Do not expect repentance from such. It is simply not anywhere in their nature.
Why is it that so many boards who have the job of over seeing these leaders fail to do their jobs for decades and then everyone is surprised when these leaders become entitled ego maniacs?