Jerry Falwell Jr. agreed to resign as president of Liberty University on Monday, then withdrew his resignation hours later after media reports of his ouster emerged, according to a university spokesperson.
The dispute came hours after Reuters reported that a longtime business associate of Falwell Jr. and his wife, Becki Falwell, claimed the evangelical leader was a willing participant in an affair involving the three of them.
Falwell reportedly accepted an offer to resign from university officials on Monday following “additional matters [that] came to light that made it clear that it would not be in the best interest of the University for him to return from leave and serve as President,” according to a university spokesman.
News of the resignation was leaked to The Washington Post and Religion News Service, with the former citing a university official.
Falwell then fired back in a phone interview with Virginia Business, denying reports claiming that he had stepped down and calling them “completely false.”
In a statement late Monday night, the school stated that Falwell, the son of Liberty founder Rev. Jerry Falwell Sr., had rescinded his resignation after the reports emerged. The statement indicated that the school’s board of trustees would make a decision on a further course of action Tuesday.
“On the first day of classes of Liberty University’s fall term, Jerry Falwell, Jr., agreed to resign as its President and from its Board of Directors, but following media reports about the resignation, withdrew it,” read the statement.
“The Executive Committee met this morning and a conference call gathering of the full Board was planned for tomorrow,” it continued, adding: “Falwell responded by agreeing to resign immediately as President of Liberty University today but then instructed his attorneys to not tender the letter for immediate resignation. The Executive Committee will go forward with its meeting in the morning followed by the full Board.”
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Jerry Falwell Jr. denies reports of resignation from Liberty University https://t.co/l6RP3sWp1I pic.twitter.com/RtUvN0OHSS
— The Hill (@thehill) August 25, 2020
Amazing. https://t.co/l9f0lCKAs3
— David French (@DavidAFrench) August 25, 2020
$$$$Holding out for bigger severance package$$$$
Jerry Falwell Jr. has resigned as the leader of Liberty University, the Christian school confirmed in a statement, ending a day of confusion over Falwell’s fate amid new allegations of an extramarital affair.
— POLITICO (@politico) August 25, 2020
You’re right, Granny!
Jerry Falwell Jr. resigns as head of Liberty University, will get $10.5 million in compensation https://t.co/GOG5uBu2sY
Wow. Can I behave badly, resign and then collect $10.5 million? Or is it only hypocritical evangelical leaders who get to do that?
— Rosa Brooks (@brooks_rosa) August 26, 2020
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