Liberty University confirms Falwell is out

Rep. Mark Walker told POLITICO he has spoken with a Liberty board member about the possibility of taking the helm of the university.

Jerry Falwell Jr. has resigned as the leader of Liberty University, the Christian school confirmed in a statement Tuesday, ending a day of confusion over Falwell’s fate amid new allegations of an extramarital affair.

The university’s board of trustees accepted Falwell’s resignation from Liberty, following claims about a long-term sexual relationship involving himself, his wife and a Miami pool attendant turned business partner. Falwell's attorney sent a resignation letter to board members late Monday evening, according to a statement from the university, which he has led since 2007.

Falwell’s departure from the school will be immediate, according to the statement, though the university did not disclose the precise terms of his exit. “Falwell’s severance compensation was dictated by the terms of his pre-existing employment agreement without any adjustment by the University or its Board,” the statement said.

Falwell is one of President Donald Trump’s most vocal evangelical supporters, and his wife, Becki, serves on the advisory board of Women for Trump. Over the past decade, Falwell has grown Liberty into one of the nation’s largest universities, with a robust online presence and endowment worth more than $1.5 billion.

But his downfall from the university follows a series of controversies over the past several years.

Speculation has already begun about who will lead the powerhouse evangelical school.

Rep. Mark Walker (R-N.C.), the vice chair of the House Republican Conference who is retiring from Congress this year, told POLITICO that he has spoken with a Liberty board member about the possibility of taking the helm of the university.

“I have been contacted about it by a few students, alumni and church leaders,” Walker said. “It’s not something I have considered, but Liberty University is too important to go without strong leadership.”

Walker was among the most prominent conservative voices to call for Falwell to step down earlier this month, saying Falwell’s ongoing behavior is “appalling.”

“I have talked with a board member but my focus is for the Liberty University family to find healing while continuing its mission of developing Christ-centered men and women with the values, knowledge and skills essential to impact the world,” Walker said.

The North Carolina congressman is a pastor and previously served on a faculty advisory committee at Liberty University. He is also considered a possible future Senate candidate to run for the open seat that will be vacated by Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), who has said he won’t run for reelection when his term ends.

The official confirmation of Falwell’s resignation from the school on Tuesday follows a public back-and-forth on Monday between Falwell and other university officials.

After the executive committee of the university’s board of trustees met on Monday, Falwell agreed to “resign immediately,” only to backtrack later and instruct his attorneys not to tender his letter of resignation, according to a university statement.

Falwell initially denied the media reports of his ouster on Monday, telling POLITICO, “I have not resigned. I will be on indefinite leave.” But late on Monday Falwell told some news organizations that he had indeed submitted his resignation.

The university’s board on Tuesday accepted Falwell’s resignation on Tuesday confirmed Falwell’s resignation in a statement.

“I am so encouraged by the unity of Christ that I saw exemplified by our Board today,” Allen McFarland, the acting board chair said in a statement. “Liberty University’s future is very bright and in capable hands of leaders who are committed to being good stewards of what the Lord has entrusted!”

Reports circulated in recent days that Falwell and his wife had engaged in an ongoing relationship with Giancarlo Granda, a former pool attendant at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach. Granda publicly spoke out about his alleged affair with the Falwells, which began in 2012 and lasted through 2019, Granda told POLITICO.

On Sunday, prior to a report by Reuters about the affair between Granda and the Falwells, Falwell released his own statement that claimed Granda had an affair with Becki Falwell without his involvement. Granda denied that statement.

Earlier this month, Falwell was placed on an indefinite leave of absence from the university after he posted, then removed, a photo of himself vacationing on a yacht with his pants unzipped and his arm around his wife’s assistant. Falwell apologized for the photo, saying it was “just in good fun” and that he told his family that “I’m gonna try to be a good boy from here on out.”

In June, Falwell apologized for tweeting an image of a face mask that was decorated with a racist photo from Gov. Ralph Northam’s yearbook showing a person in Ku Klux Klan robes and another person in blackface.

In 2019, POLITICO reported on photos of Falwell visiting a Miami Beach nightclub with his family in 2014. Falwell claimed that any such images were “photo-shopped.” Current and former Liberty University officials described a culture of fear at the university and concerns about Falwell’s behavior in another 2019 POLITICO investigation.

Some members of Liberty’s board were also disturbed by Falwell’s oversight of university funds, sources told POLITICO. That includes Falwell’s repeated trips on a yacht belonging to NASCAR owner Rick Hendrick, who owns a racing team that Liberty University spends roughly $6 million a year to sponsor, POLITICO reported.

Jerry Prevo, a retired Alaska pastor and previous chair of Liberty’s board of trustees, has been serving as the school’s acting president since earlier this month when Falwell was placed on an “indefinite leave of absence.” He will remain in that role, the university said on Tuesday.

“Our students are ready to be world changers as Champions for Christ," Prevo said in a statement. "Their spirit is strong as they look to the future. I intend to do all I can to nurture their spiritual side as they grow academically and enjoy all our campus has to offer.”

The university board plans to schedule a meeting in Lynchburg, Va., where classes started on campus Monday, to select a committee to conduct a search for its next president.

Melanie Zanona contributed to this report.