Liberty University says Jerry Falwell Jr. agreed to
resign, then changed his mind
The school placed Falwell on an indefinite leave of
absence on Aug. 7.
Jerry Falwell Jr. agreed to resign as president of Liberty
University after 13 turbulent years at the helm of the prominent evangelical
Christian school, but withdrew his resignation after media reports of his the decision, the school said Monday night.
Politico had reported his resignation based on a Liberty
University spokesperson, which NBC News could not confirm. But Falwell soon
after told Politico he did not resign and did not know why the spokesperson had
said otherwise.
Falwell also denied the reports in an interview on Monday an evening with Virginia Business, saying they were "completely false."
He told the economic news outlet that he informed the Liberty University Board
of Trustees earlier in the summer that he would be taking a "break."
The school placed Falwell on an indefinite leave of absence
on Aug. 7.
The Executive Committee met this morning and a conference
call gathering of the full board was planned for tomorrow," the university
said in a statement Monday night.
The Executive Committee, as well as the full board, are set
to meet Tuesday.
The fate of Falwell, 58, had been unclear in the wake of an explosive claim made by a former hotel pool attendant-turned-business partner.
The man, Giancarlo Granda, 29, told Reuters in an interview published Monday
that he carried on an affair with Falwell's wife, Becki, beginning in 2012,
when he was 20, and lasting until 2018.
Falwell confirmed his wife's dalliance in a surprise
statement first published by the Washington Examiner. He said that the affair
led him to suffer from depression but that ultimately he forgave his wife and
the man. He did not name him.
Reuters said Granda shared emails, text messages, and other evidence to illustrate the nature of the relationship. Attorneys for Granda and Falwell did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and efforts to reach them and Becki Falwell directly were not immediately successful Monday.
Michael Bowe, Falwell's attorney, told Reuters last week
when asked about its initial reporting that his client "categorically
denies everything you indicated you intend to publish about him."
Falwell became president of Liberty University in Lynchburg,
Virginia, upon the death of his father, the Rev. Jerry Falwell Sr., in 2007.
The elder Falwell, who founded the school in 1971 and was a leader in the Moral The majority, espoused a socially conservative, "pro-family" agenda that
was continued by his son, who helped Donald Trump win the endorsement of
evangelicals and has become increasingly involved in political issues.
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