*Any opinions expressed in this article are entirely my own and are not a reflection of George Mason University or Her Campus Media.*
Being born and raised in Lynchburg, Virginia, Liberty University (and as an extension, the Falwell family) news and scandals are nothing new to me. When Jerry Falwell Sr. passed in 2007, his funeral was a large, televised event that even had some sections of highway blocked off for his funeral procession. The recent news of Jerry Falwell Jr.’s resignation as the university’s president has flooded the media, generating multiple perspectives from all sides of the situation as well as influencing some to revisit and analyze Falwell’s character.
While I could simply report on the present situation, in this article we will take a closer look at the actions of Falwell Jr. that led up to his resignation. Further, I’d like to consider the character of his father, Falwell Sr. Should we be surprised by Falwell Jr.’s conduct? Did he have a good role model for acceptable behavior?
Related: Open Letter to Liberty University’s President Jerry Falwell Jr.
The Resignation
The beginning of the end was sparked on August 24 when it was revealed that Falwell’s wife, Becki, had an affair with their former pool boy, Giancarlo Granda. In Granda’s interview with Reuters, he elaborates on the sexual nature of his relationship with the Falwells and provides evidence of emails and text messages. Granda said that during their sexual encounters, both in person and over video call, “Jerry enjoyed watching from the corner of the room.” There is nothing necessarily wrong with having a consensual polyamorous relationship, however as the president of an evangelical Christian university, this probably wasn’t the best choice.
Falwell’s resignation comes after he was asked to take a leave of absence on August 7 after he posted a photo on Instagram of himself and a woman he says is his wife’s assistant, both with their pants unzipped. Falwell claims the photo was a joke.
Christians, particularly in the Bible Belt, have tolerated and even encouraged racism, homophobia, and xenophobia in the past and continue to today. In 2015, Falwell received both applause and criticism for his comments during the university’s convocation. While talking about gun control, he urged students to get their concealed-carry permit, saying, “I’ve always thought that if more good people had concealed-carry permits, then we could end those Muslims before they walked in.” He later said he was referring to Islamic terrorists, however also said, “if I had to say what I said again, I’d say exactly the same thing.” Sexual sin, on the other hand, is something that is not generally acceptable or tolerable in any religion. Because of this, it is not surprising that Falwell made the decision to resign after the news of the affair with Granda as well as the unprofessional photo were released.
In an interesting opinion column from The Conversation, Leslie Dorrough Smith analyzes Falwell’s actions and public comments about the affair from her perspective as a scholar who studies religion and gender. Although Granda claims that both Becki and Jerry Falwell Jr. were involved in the relationship, Falwell claims it was only Becki. As Smith puts it, “in other words, it’s Becki’s fault.” She goes on to discuss how Falwell’s reaction to the scandal pushes all blame on his wife in order to maintain [whatever is left of] his reputation as a prominent male evangelical figure. If you’d like to read her interpretation of the Falwell saga, you can find the column here.
Related: Liberty University Alumni Are Returning Their Diplomas Over the University’s Support of Trump
The Legacy of Jerry Falwell Sr. and Its Impact on Jr.
At this point, I’d like to take a step back and look at Falwell’s father and role model for taking over the presidency of the university. He started as televangelist and pastor at Thomas Road Baptist Church in the 1970s. At the same time, he founded and acted as the first president of what was then Lynchburg Baptist College in 1971. In Lynchburg, many who were around while Jerry Falwell Sr. was president of Liberty University have favorable opinions of him and consider him to be a good example of a Christian leader. Others credit him with bringing more business and economic prosperity to Lynchburg.
Outside of Lynchburg, Jerry Falwell Sr. had plenty of opponents in both the religious and political arenas. Most of his opponents were primarily concerned with his attitude and beliefs about the LGBTQ+ community, women’s rights, people of color, and other social issues. Here are only a few examples of his feelings about these issues:
-
“AIDS is the wrath of a just God against homosexuals. To oppose it would be like an Israelite jumping in the Red Sea to save one of Pharaoh’s charioteers. AIDS is not just God’s punishment for homosexuals. It is God’s punishment for the society that tolerates homosexuals.” (1993)
-
“The true Negro does not want integration… He realizes his potential is far better among his own race… It will destroy our race eventually… In one northern city, a pastor friend of mine tells me that a couple of opposite race live next door to his church as man and wife… It boils down to whether we are going to take God‘s Word as final.” (Quoted from “The Nation’s Best Bible College Gets Low Grades on Racial Diversity” The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, vol. 31 (2001), pp.43-45)
- “The Jews are returning to their land of unbelief. They are spiritually blind and desperately in need of their Messiah and Savior.” (1981)
In the interest of his conservative, Christian evangelism, Falwell Sr.’s bigoted comments seemed neverending. Focusing solely on this character flaw, did he set good examples for his child, Jerry Falwell Jr., who would end up taking over as the university’s president after his passing? If these types of comments were made to the public, one could only imagine what could have been said in private at their home. What kind of effect did growing up in this environment of intolerance have on Falwell Jr.? One can only speculate. Judging from his actions, it seems that Falwell Jr. has apparently learned from his father that it is okay to use unprofessional and derogatory language and rhetoric towards those who are not like him. Moreover, his relationship with and endorsement of President Donald J. Trump acts as further evidence that immoral behavior is not a dealbreaker for him.
Related: Liberty University President Acts Recklessly
Does His Resignation Really Matter?
As one of the most powerful people in Christian evangelism, of course his resignation matters. But, in terms of “justice being served” for his lengthy list of scandals, does resigning really make things right? He may no longer be president of the university, but it is possible, almost without question, that he will continue to influence Liberty University.
More than remaining an influence to the university, Falwell will also be receiving $10.5 million in compensation. He will receive $2.5 million of that over a 24-month period, then will receive about $8 million in retirement. Essentially, he is set up for the rest of his life with a substantial amount left over, most likely. Because he technically resigned, there is nothing “wrong” with this on the surface, but digging deeper in terms of what is right, a $10.5 million compensation after these events seems like the opposite of justice.
Perhaps not all hope for some kind of justice is lost. Liberty University’s Executive Committee announced that they would be launching an independent investigation into the school’s operations during Falwell’s time as president. They said, “One of the leading forensic firms in the world has been retained by Liberty University’s Board of Trustees to conduct a thorough investigation into all facets of Liberty University operations during Jerry Falwell, Jr.’s tenure as President, including but not limited to financial, real estate, and legal matters.” We will all see what comes from this investigation in the coming months. It is unclear what the penalty, if any, will be for Falwell if there are any wrongdoings discovered. That would depend on the extent of his malpractice.