Let’s take a stroll down the scandal-ridden path of Jerry Falwell Jr., the former president of Liberty University, who, in a predictable twist, has now decided to sue the very Christian college he once presided over for the unauthorized use of his late father’s image. Yes, the same father who founded the school and whose legacy he tarnished by resigning amidst a sex scandal in 2020 following scandalous photos of him taken on a yacht
Earlier this year, Falwell Jr., who steered the university’s ship from 2007 until his ousting in 2020, slapped the school with a lawsuit for $8.5 million. His claim? Unpaid retirement benefits. He’d already drawn up defamation and breach of contract suits against the university. In a tit-for-tat move, the school responded with a breach of contract and fiduciary case of their own against Falwell.
The crux of the latest suit is the plan by the university to build a $35 million Jerry Falwell Center. This grand project is in honor of his father, who founded the school in 1971 and would serve as a living monument to the man.
The proposed architectural marvel is set to feature an engraving of the elder Falwell’s signature at the entrance, a hologram tour showcasing his likeness, and quotes from him emblazoned on the walls.
Falwell Jr. insists that a trust controlled by him and his siblings holds the exclusive rights to his father’s name, intellectual property, and likeness and that the university has continued to use these without the family’s nod of approval.
He has labeled the planned venture an “ostentatious Disney-esque shrine” and accuses the school of turning a blind eye to the family’s request for a licensing agreement. Oh, the audacity!
“I asked the university to stop improperly using my father’s intellectual property and sent the university leadership a proposed license agreement that would cover the Jerry Falwell Center, assuming there was meaningful consultation with the family about the use of my father’s intellectual property. Unfortunately, they chose to continue using it without authorization, and in an undignified manner that seems to attempt to aggrandize and deify my father in a fawning way that he would never have wanted or approved.”
Ah, the irony!
Meanwhile, Liberty University remains unfazed. A spokesman confidently declared that they will “ultimately prevail in this case” and will continue to honor the name of its founder.
The spokesman also shed some light on the lawsuit, stating that it’s in response to Falwell Jr.’s demand of a whopping $7 million for the university’s continued use of his father’s name for the next four years. “Included in his demand is the expectation that, in effect, former president Falwell would also have total editorial control of Liberty’s use of the name of Liberty’s founder.” The university declined the request, so Mr. Falwell filed this lawsuit. And so, the saga continues.
