To understand the heart of the ethical scandal surrounding Jerry Falwell Jr., it is essential to understand Liberty University. Before going any further with this case, we must acknowledge two details: Liberty University, with a student body of about 15,000 is a legitimate school with a wide-range of excellent programs, and that this case has nothing to do with Evangelical Christianity.
At the center of it all is a hypocrite who, with celebrity, power and money, felt free to create his own brand of ethical behavior.
Liberty and Hypocrisy
Liberty University started life as Liberty Baptist College in 1971 with a handful of students. Its leader and founder was (then) Reverend Jerry Falwell. The school became an Evangelical Christian powerhouse. In 2007, after Falwell passed away Jerry Falwell Jr. eventually became Chancellor and President.
Liberty University is built on a code of conduct. Students are free to report on one another and the sexual mores of the university are often seen as anachronistic and impossible to enforce. Nevertheless, I am not here to judge anyone’s religious beliefs, only the hypocrisy of its leadership.
Jerry Falwell Jr. has been placed on an “indefinite leave of absence.” Following a sordid affair.
The case against the religious leader started when Falwell placed a picture on social media. He was allegedly on his yacht. In the picture, his trousers are unbuttoned and his arm is around a woman who is purportedly Falwell’s wife’s “assistant.” The assistant’s pants were also undone. Falwell was seen holding a drink of some sort. When the photo was posted, the board took immediate action. Said Falwell:
“The board put me on leave, took away my duties as prez, and that’s not permitted by my contract, and they put me on leave because of pressure from self-righteous people.”
However, that was just the start of the ethical free-fall. In steps pool-boy Giancarlo Granda. Granda claims he was involved in a sexual “three-way” with the Falwell’s for years while Falwell claims “he just watched.”
Allegedly, Falwell claims he went into business with Granda after he and wife Becki befriended him. Allegedly the “relationship” turned sour. Falwell claims that Granda “became obsessive” with the couple and tried to extort them by claiming the years-long tryst.
The Board Unmoved
After the yacht picture emerged, along with Granda’s salacious, though credible story, the board forced Falwell to resign (August 24, 2020) and he agreed, but then Falwell quickly changed his mind. He feels he has been extorted, “Fatal Attraction” style.
It did not move the board to reinstate. Falwell claims the board owes him a lot of money and cannot simply terminate his contract.
At the same time, Granda has doubled-down. Granda alleges he was working at a hotel in Miami back in 2012. He was “recruited” to have sex with Becki, but after a while, Falwell participated on some level.
It is important, at this juncture, to shift from “sex” to “policy.” But first, let’s establish that Falwell and his wife are people of immense privilege. His net worth is estimated at $100 million and his annual salary is $1 million. Unlike his father, he is not a preacher, but a lawyer and real estate developer. He has a yacht and a private jet.
The relationship between the Falwell wealth and Liberty University is more than hazy. He joined the school’s board of directors in 2000. As he gained power, murky financial dealings began to transpire. There have been loans to Falwell’s friends using the university as a type of conduit that have been widely critiqued. More so, when Falwell was given the reins as president the university’s net worth was a modest $260 million in real-estate holdings. It has now grown to $3 billion. Many claim the university is Falwell’s personal real-estate development organization. Perhaps the board sees where the relationship has taken them.
Ethical Hypocrisy
I don’t know if Falwell is a man of faith or a hypocritical opportunist. But I do know that through a lack of oversite, he gained tremendous wealth and there are reports of several questionable business deals.
Liberty University students are expected to follow a code of conduct. Perhaps, most do. However, their leader is a hypocrite. The vacant, sexual exploits of he and his wife do not shock me. It falls in line with the vacant ethical lifestyle he leads overall.
What does he need? More wealth, better sex, more power? I doubt it. I believe he needs to feel, most anything. His faith, if he has ever had any, is based on the religion of hedonism. He is in an ethical wasteland.
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