Jerry Falwell Jr., the president and chancellor of Liberty University, has agreed to take an "indefinite leave of absence," according to a statement Friday from the evangelical Christian university. Under the leadership of Falwell Jr., who is an attorney and not a minister, Liberty has grown into a leading evangelical university, with an immaculate campus and a significant endowment. He later apologized.In this March 21, 2019 file photo, Jerry Falwell Jr., president of Liberty University, waits for the arrival of President Donald Trump to sign an executive order. “How is this Jerry Falwell Jr. photo even real?” tweeted conservative TV personality Meghan McCain, daughter of the late U.S. Sen. John McCain. But it came after Falwell's apology earlier this week for a since-deleted photo he posted online that showed him with his pants unzipped, stomach exposed and his arm around a young woman in a similar pose. Students must follow a strict code of conduct that includes modest dress and a ban on alcohol consumption.
In addition to Walker, some pastors who graduated from Liberty spoke out earlier this week calling for a change in leadership at the school. The statement said the Executive Committee of Liberty’s board of trustees, acting on behalf of the full board, met Friday and requested that Falwell take leave as president and chancellor, “to which he has agreed, effective immediately.” An early and high-profile supporter of President Donald Trump, Falwell has served since 2007 as president of the university founded by his evangelist father, the late Rev.
Colby Garman, a pastor who has served on the executive board of the Southern Baptist Convention of Virginia, tweeted on Monday that it was “bewildering” to see Falwell maintain the board of trustees’ support. He responded to Friday’s news with appreciation. On Thursday, Republican U.S. Rep. Mark Walker of North Carolina, a pastor who has previously taught at Liberty, called Falwell’s behavior “appalling” and said he should resign. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Mark Davis, a Texas-based pastor, tweeted that “the name of Christ and the reputation of Liberty will continue to be dishonored” without action against Falwell by the board. Falwell was among the earliest Christian conservatives to endorse Trump’s previous election campaign. He also faced stinging criticism from a group of Black alumni who said he should step down after he mocked Virginia’s mask-wearing requirement in a tweet by invoking a blackface scandal that engulfed Northam last year. Jerry Falwell Jr. will take an “indefinite leave of absence” from his role of president of Liberty University following the outcry from a racy photo he posted on social media. Jerry Falwell. I had on a pair of jeans I hadn't worn in a long time, so I couldn't get mine zipped either. In recent years, Liberty has served as a regular speaking spot for ambitious Republicans looking to court the young evangelical vote. By Steve Gorman (Reuters) - Jerry Falwell Jr., a leading evangelical ally of President Donald Trump, has taken an indefinite leave of absence from his posts as president and chancellor of Liberty University, the Christian school he has run for more than a … U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz kicked off a presidential campaign there in 2015. RICHMOND, Va. — Jerry Falwell Jr. agreed Friday to take an indefinite leave of absence as the leader of Liberty University, one of the nation's top evangelical Christian colleges, days after apologizing for a social media post that caused an uproar even among fellow conservatives. RICHMOND, Va. — Jerry Falwell Jr. agreed Friday to take an indefinite leave of absence as the leader of Liberty University, one of the nation's top evangelical Christian colleges, days after apologizing for a social media post that caused an uproar even among fellow conservatives. Jerry Falwell Jr., president and chancellor of Liberty University, is taking an “indefinite leave absence from his roles” at the school, the university’s board of Trustees announced Friday. "She's pregnant, so she couldn't get her pants zipped. The private university in Lynchburg, Virginia, gave no reason for Falwell's departure in a one-sentence announcement late Friday afternoon.
Jerry Falwell Jr. delivers a speech during the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland.The move comes days after Falwell received criticism for posting Falwell faced criticism this week from both conservative and liberal commentators after posting the controversial photo to his Instagram account.