The former Liberty president, a close ally of Trump, says the university failed to properly investigate claims about his personal life.
Jerry Falwell Jr., a close ally of President Donald Trump, sued Liberty University on Thursday, alleging the university defamed him and did not properly investigate claims about his personal life before pushing him to resign as president over the summer.
The lawsuit represents the latest turn in an astonishing falling out between Falwell and Liberty, whose family name has been synonymous with Liberty since his father founded the university four decades ago. It would have been unthinkable six months ago, when — despite some public reports about Falwell’s unusual behavior — he seemed to have Liberty’s unflagging support.
“Other than God and my family, there is nothing in the world I love more than Liberty University,” Falwell said in a statement. “While I have nothing but love and appreciation for the Liberty community, and I had hoped to avoid litigation, I must take the necessary steps to restore my reputation and hopefully help repair the damage to the Liberty University brand in the process.”
In the lawsuit, which was filed in Virginia Circuit Court, Falwell alleges Liberty failed to vet claims made by Giancarlo Granda, a former pool attendant in Miami who alleges he had a multiyear affair with Jerry and Becki Falwell. The lawsuit maintains that Becki had an affair with Granda “unbeknownst to Falwell,” and says that Granda tried to extort the Falwells, and was sponsored by the Lincoln Project, the anti-Trump PAC. And it says that Liberty is in breach of contract — which could entitle Falwell to a much bigger payout than Liberty has maintained he is owed after his departure.
“By forcing Mr. Falwell’s resignation from Liberty immediately following Granda’s false and defamatory statements, Liberty sent the unmistakable message to the public that Granda’s statements were, in fact, true,” the complaint says. The complaint also says that “not one member of the Board or the Executive Committee” asked Falwell about Granda’s allegations before asking him to resign.
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Jerry Falwell Jr., a close ally of President Donald Trump, sued Liberty University today, alleging the university defamed him and did not properly investigate claims about his personal life before pushing him to resign as president over the summer https://t.co/qeu6uRELFU
— POLITICO (@politico) October 29, 2020
How It Started, How It's Going, all in one tweet https://t.co/Jt9MN2kbVW
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) October 29, 2020
Don’t you have to have character first in order for it to be defamed?
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