Some say he has sinned but should be forgiven. Others want an investigation.
Jerry Falwell Jr.’s resignation as president of Liberty University following revelations of a sexual relationship between his wife and a business partner of the Falwell family has stirred conflicting emotions among those with close ties to the school founded by his father.
While some students, graduates and former employees were appalled by his behavior in the latest of a series of scandals, others defended him. His fiercest critics, meanwhile, called for an outside probe and a broader leadership shakeup at one of the largest Christian universities in the world.
Mitchell Fischer, a junior at Liberty, said it didn’t seem like the latest Falwell scandal wasn’t a huge deal on campus, where students’ first day of class was Aug. 24.
“Obviously, we see in the news everywhere. But right now, I think the students are trying to focus on what really matters, you know, growing our faith,” Fischer said.
He said students were grateful for Falwell’s contributions and that people should withhold their judgment.
“Obviously, he’s made mistakes, we’ve all made mistakes, and it’s wrong. But he’s suffering the consequences for that.”
But some Liberty graduates say the school needs a serious overhaul. “Save71,” a newly formed nonprofit that references the year of Liberty’s founding and is designed to mobilize alumni, students and faculty behind reform at the university, issued a statement this week urging several specific next steps, including an outside investigation into “the claims of financial corruption documented in previous reporting” as well as a probe by Liberty’s accreditor, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
“I think the issues go deeper than just Jerry,” said Liberty graduate Jonathan Carone, who is not affiliated with “Save71.”
Carone, 33, attended Liberty for both his undergraduate studies and seminary and also held student employee roles during his time there. He criticized what he described as a board unwilling to hold university leadership accountable. He also called for an independent investigation.
“The reason it needs to be independent is because people at Liberty are scared to talk,” he said.
Another Liberty graduate, Garet Robinson, said: “I believe in the vision of Liberty to help change the world to make it a better place. That’s not possible right now. But I think we could get back to it.”
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