Liberty University To Pay Jerry Falwell Jr. $15M Following His High-Profile Resignation
Nearly a year after Liberty University and former President Jerry Falwell Jr. agreed to a settlement and dropped all litigation against each other, putting to rest what had been an acrimonious and bitter five years following Falwell’s termination from the storied establishment, USA Today has revealed that he is about to receive nearly $15 million in settlements and compensation as a result of his troubles.
As part of the agreement, Falwell will pay Liberty University $440,000 to settle “disputed expenses,” and they, in turn, will give him $9.7M as part of his retirement package and another $5.5M to settle the remainder of the lawsuits.
In 2020, Falwell accidentally uploaded a vacation picture with another woman on a yacht with their pants unzipped in what turned out to be a Trailer-Park Boys-themed party.
Trailer Park Boys is a raunchy and crass Canadian mockumentary TV Show that aired 106 episodes across 12 seasons. The theatrical film for the show, Swearnet, set a world record for the most F-words in a feature film, totaling 935. That film has an NC-17 rating for explicit sexual content and graphic nudity, and at least three TV episodes have plot lines involving making homemade pornography.
Following this, Falwell was discovered to have a history of “liking” pictures of women in very little clothing, including famous models known for posing nude, or photos of his own students in bikinis, (see below. images blurred for modesty) further sullying his reputation.
The hits kept coming over the years, as it was revealed Falwell had a problem with alcohol and that his wife Becki had an affair with a friend that they were allegedly being blackmailed over about. Falwell himself was accused of participating in these sexual incidents as a cuckold, which he strenuously denied, and then another former Liberty student accused Becki of initiating oral sex with him while he stayed at their family home.
Events surrouding his resignation resulted in several lawsuits and litigation being launched back and forth between both parties, everything from questions over Falwell’s $10.5M severance pay, to whether he was defamed by Liberty during his termination, to Liberty’s ability to use his family father’s likeness in a new wing.
Following the initial announcement of the conclusion of their litigation, their press release read:
Nearly four years after he stepped aside as Liberty University’s fourth president, Jerry Falwell, Jr. and the Board of Trustees of the University announced today they have reached a global resolution agreement settling all outstanding disputes on both legal and personal matters.
This agreement is grounded in a firm commitment to protecting and preserving Liberty’s original mission of developing Christ-centered men and women with the values, knowledge, and skills essential to impact the world. It is based on a mutual understanding regarding the amount Liberty University will pay its former president in authorized retirement and severance under the various disputed agreements and in keeping with the law; and the conditions under which the University will make use of Dr. Jerry Falwell, Sr.’s name, image, and likeness.
Both the University’s Board of Trustees and Jerry Falwell, Jr. sincerely regret the lengthy and painful litigation process, and each take responsibility for their part in the disputes. Falwell acknowledges and apologizes for the errors in judgement and mistakes made during his time of leadership. The Board of Trustees acknowledge and apologize for the errors and mistakes made on their part as well. The Trustees and Falwell are committed to move forward in a spirit of forgiveness and with the hope of reconciliation in a Christ honoring manner.
Because they agree that further comment on the lawsuits and their resolution is neither necessary nor constructive, they plan to make no further statements on this matter
About Author
