In an interview, Falwell stated nothing to discourage that notion. The 58-year-old son of the late Rev. Jerry Falwell Sr. stated he has been affected by blood clots since final fall however plans to “positively” have extra of a presence on campus as his well being continues to recuperate.
“The staff and the board have been nothing however supportive, 100 p.c. The scholars all need to get their image with me. They thank me,” Falwell stated.
Falwell stated he and Liberty’s board had additionally resolved a dispute over his severance fee, which Falwell stated final fall amounted to him being owed $10.5 million after being let go from Liberty. Falwell had signed the contract, which included newly beneficiant phrases for severance funds, with Liberty’s government committee only a 12 months earlier than he was requested to resign.
“The contract was terminated with out trigger. I’m entitled to full severance,” which incorporates two years of pay and retirement advantages, Falwell stated. He declined to say how a lot the package deal is in the end price, however stated it quantities to greater than $9 million. “And the college board admitted there was no fireable offense and so they have been reacting extra to the press and the Twitter mob than the rest,” Falwell stated.
A spokesperson for Liberty College, the nation’s largest evangelical establishment of upper schooling with greater than 100,000 college students, didn’t reply to questions from POLITICO. Final fall, the college stated Falwell was entitled to considerably much less cash than he claimed.
All through the Liberty group, there’s an ongoing reckoning concerning the path the varsity ought to take, in addition to find out how to tackle accusations from final summer season that Jerry and Becki Falwell had behaved inappropriately round younger folks, together with one former Liberty scholar who detailed a sexual encounter he had with Becki Falwell on the household’s farm to POLITICO.
Reformers amongst Liberty’s workers and alumni argue that the college has ignored the allegations. An investigation launched by the board into Falwell’s tenure on the college is ongoing however seems to be narrowly centered on the query of Falwell and different directors’ use of college funds — a topic on which Falwell has lengthy expressed confidence of his exoneration. In the meantime, one in all Falwell’s shut allies — Rev. Jerry Prevo, the 76-year-old former board chair — is working Liberty as president and CEO and Falwell’s two sons are nonetheless employed there.
“With no thorough investigation into allegations of misconduct and sexually predatory conduct by the Falwells, they shouldn’t be allowed round college students,” stated Dustin Wahl, co-founder of Save71, a gaggle of pro-reform Liberty alumni. “That’s the opinion of our group, and it’s additionally simply primary logic for a college with a variety of younger folks.”
Regardless of Falwell’s efforts to emphasise his continued connection to Liberty, present and former school, directors and college students interviewed by POLITICO say they don’t anticipate him to renew his duties because the college’s president. However they’re perplexed by his repeated appearances on campus and more and more skeptical that Liberty’s board of trustees will undertake a widespread effort to weed out individuals who labored with Falwell as he allegedly behaved inappropriately and mismanaged the varsity’s funds.
As of 2019, a minimum of 5 Falwell members of the family have been on Liberty’s payroll, the college maintained a minimum of $36 million {dollars} in enterprise with a building agency began and owned by an in depth Falwell affiliate and Falwell’s sons maintained exterior jobs partnering with businesspeople who relied closely on their contacts with Liberty. As well as, questions have been raised about Falwell’s use of a college donor’s yacht for household holidays, and his frequent private journeys on the college airplane.
Such actions, critics be aware, went largely unchecked by Liberty’s board of trustees, a few of whose companies and members of the family additionally had monetary relationships with Liberty.
Final fall, the board introduced particulars of an investigation led by the accounting agency Baker Tilly that’s probing Liberty’s enterprise dealings. Folks have been inspired to report details about something “unlawful, unethical from a enterprise perspective, or improper within the context of the operation of a non-profit group,” in keeping with info on an internet portal established by the investigators. However sexual harassment complaints, allegations of discrimination or harassment or different areas the place Liberty “has a longtime grievance course of or process” ought to undergo typical channels, the investigators wrote, excluding most of the allegations in opposition to Falwell and his spouse from the probe.
Along with Becki Falwell’s alleged relationship with a scholar, the Falwells got here beneath criticism for his or her relationship with a former pool attendant at a Miami resort, Giancarlo Granda, who claims he engaged in a prolonged affair with Becki whereas Jerry typically watched. The couple has acknowledged Becki’s affair with Granda, which started when he was 20 years outdated, however denied that Jerry ever participated.
The investigation is now nearing its eighth month, and investigators have made few updates on their progress. Two individuals who submitted info by way of the net portal and requested interviews with Baker Tilly advised POLITICO they have been by no means contacted.
Liberty’s board, which employed the investigators, has no obligation to publicly disclose the outcomes of the investigation.
“I don’t know anyone who’s optimistic that the investigation goes to be correctly obtained or processed,” stated a former senior Liberty administrator. “There are individuals who suppose the investigation itself would possibly legitimately go deep and broad — however then it’s delivered to the identical board and government committee that presided over all of this conduct.”
Liberty has made one vital change that helped appease critics who stated the varsity had grow to be overly political: The Falkirk Heart, a controversial on-campus conservative suppose tank based by Jerry Falwell Jr. and GOP activist Charlie Kirk, has parted methods with Kirk and is altering its title to the Standing for Freedom Heart. The change got here after criticism and reporting in POLITICO about Falkirk’s use of college funds to advertise former President Donald Trump and his associates.
Falkirk was one a part of Falwell’s plans to develop Liberty and its affect. Whereas he ran the varsity, Falwell turned a tv character and nationwide title, and Liberty cemented its place as a must-do stopover for Republican politicians keen to talk and launch campaigns in entrance of a pleasant viewers.
Liberty is up to now staying near the trail that Falwell laid out for it earlier than he departed.
Prevo, who beforehand headed a big evangelical church in Alaska, was an in depth ally of Falwell’s, and is a part of a faction of Liberty board members who stay comparatively sympathetic to the departed president, in keeping with folks conversant in the board’s deliberations. He’s additionally keen about sustaining Liberty’s outsized function in Republican politics and attended the Rose Backyard swearing in of Supreme Court docket Justice Amy Coney Barrett simply days after assuming his function as performing president.
Although Liberty continues to be anticipated to rent a brand new president, Prevo is settling into the brand new function. Final week Prevo employed the chair of the Alaska Republican Social gathering, Glenn Clary, who beforehand labored with Prevo at his Alaska church, to carry a newly created place as vice chairman at Liberty. And Liberty’s board, of which Prevo is a member, additionally launched a press release encouraging folks to seek advice from Prevo as “president and CEO” of the college, and drop the “performing” title from his title.
Different allies of Falwell at Liberty embrace Falwell’s sons Trey, who’s a vice chairman, and Wes. A Liberty College spokesperson didn’t reply to questions on whether or not the Falwell sons will proceed to be employed by Liberty through the upcoming tutorial 12 months.
And board members have mentioned giving Jonathan Falwell, Jerry’s brother, a senior function at Liberty centered on spirituality, in keeping with Jerry Falwell and one other one who has spoken to board members. Jonathan Falwell presently leads Thomas Street Baptist Church, the church based by the elder Jerry Falwell, and has labored as a Liberty administrator prior to now.
Bringing Jonathan Falwell again to Liberty would assist appease college students and alumni who need to see Liberty refocus on its evangelical roots. However to these within the Liberty group who wish to see a major change in personnel working the varsity, including Jonathan — who’s each household to Jerry Falwell Jr., and a member of the board that allowed him to run the varsity as allegations of economic and private misbehavior swelled — could be one more misstep.
“Jerry Falwell Jr. was a bully, and I don’t know if Jonathan ever stood as much as his brother,” stated one other former Liberty administrator.