Jerry Falwell Jr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jerry Falwell Jr.
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Falwell in 2019
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| 4th President of Liberty University | |
| In office May 15, 2007 – August 25, 2020 |
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| Preceded by | Jerry Falwell |
| Succeeded by | Jerry Prevo |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Jerry Lamon Falwell Jr.
June 17, 1962 Lynchburg, Virginia, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Becki Tilley
(m. 1987) |
| Children | 3 |
| Parents | Jerry Falwell Macel Pate Falwell |
| Relatives | Jonathan Falwell (brother) |
| Education | Liberty University (BA) University of Virginia (JD) |
Jerry Lamon Falwell Jr. (born June 17, 1962) is an American lawyer and former leader of a university. He served as the president of Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, starting in 2007 after his father, Jerry Falwell, passed away. He resigned from his position in August 2020.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Jerry Falwell Jr. was born on June 17, 1962. He is the oldest son of Jerry Falwell Sr. and Macel Falwell. He went to private schools in the Lynchburg area, including Liberty Christian Academy, where he graduated in 1980.
After high school, he attended Liberty University. He earned a degree in history and religious studies in 1984. Later, he studied law at the University of Virginia School of Law and became a lawyer in 1987.
Career at Liberty University
From 1987 to 2007, Falwell worked as a private lawyer in Virginia. He also served as the lawyer for Liberty University and its related groups. In 2000, he joined the university's Board of Trustees.
Leading Liberty University
When Jerry Falwell Sr. passed away in 2007, a plan was put into action for his sons. Jerry Jr. was chosen to lead Liberty University. His brother, Jonathan Falwell, took over the ministry at Thomas Road Baptist Church. This decision was based on their different skills: Jerry Jr. was known for his business sense, while Jonathan was more focused on ministry.
Under Jerry Falwell Jr.'s leadership, Liberty University faced some questions. There were concerns about how the university was managed and about business deals that involved Falwell's family. For example, some reports mentioned that companies owned by Falwell's family made property deals with university-related groups. His sons and their wives also worked for the university.
In 2019, some reports suggested that Falwell's leadership style at the university was very strict. It was also reported that the university sold items supporting Donald Trump's presidential campaign. Some members of Congress also raised concerns, saying that Falwell might have stopped students from writing articles that were critical of Trump.
A 2019 investigation also looked into a real estate deal from 2016. It was reported that Falwell signed a deal that transferred the university's sports facilities to his personal trainer. The trainer did not pay any money for the deal. Instead, Liberty University reportedly paid the trainer to rent the property back for nine years.
Resignation from Liberty University
On August 7, 2020, Falwell took a break from his roles at Liberty University. This happened after a photo he posted on social media caused controversy. The photo showed him with his pants unzipped and his arm around a woman whose shorts were also unzipped. They were at a costume party.
On August 23, Falwell made a public statement. He said that his wife had an "improper relationship" years earlier and that they were being blackmailed. The next day, news reports claimed that the man involved in the relationship said Falwell often watched them.
Later that day, on August 24, Falwell agreed to resign from Liberty University. He denied this at first, but on August 25, both Falwell and Liberty University confirmed his resignation. He received a payment of $10.5 million when he left.
After he left, Liberty University started an investigation into his past involvement in the school's money and property deals. In October 2020, Falwell sued Liberty University, saying they damaged his reputation, but he later dropped the lawsuit. In April 2021, Liberty University sued Falwell for $40 million, claiming he broke his contract. In July 2024, the university and Falwell settled their disagreements.
Possible Government Roles
In November 2016, Falwell said that President-elect Donald Trump offered him the job of United States Secretary of Education. However, Falwell said he turned down the offer for personal reasons and because he did not want to leave Liberty University for too long.
In January 2017, Falwell mentioned that President Trump had asked him to lead a group focused on improving the United States Department of Education. In June 2017, Falwell confirmed he would be one of 15 college presidents on this group. However, this group was never officially formed.
Political Views
Jerry Falwell Jr. has shared his views on several political topics.
Views on Social Issues
In April 2009, after a beauty pageant contestant, Carrie Prejean, spoke about her views on marriage, Falwell offered her a scholarship. She had stated that she believed marriage should be between a man and a woman.
In August 2013, Falwell announced that Liberty University would refuse federal money if the government required them to follow certain rules about protecting people from discrimination based on their identity.
Views on Muslims
After the 2015 San Bernardino attack, Falwell spoke at Liberty University. He said that if more good people had concealed-carry permits (meaning they could carry hidden guns), such attacks might not happen. He later clarified that he was talking about Muslims who commit terrorist attacks, not all Muslims. His comments were criticized by some people.
Support for Donald Trump
On January 26, 2016, Falwell publicly supported Donald Trump for president. This caused some people, including alumni of Liberty University, to question his decision.
At the 2016 Republican National Convention in July 2016, Falwell called Trump "America's blue-collar billionaire." He said Trump was a great leader and the candidate most likely to protect the right to carry guns, stop Iran from getting nuclear weapons, and appoint conservative judges.
In an article in The Washington Post in August 2016, Falwell compared Trump to Winston Churchill, a famous British leader.
After Trump won the election, some groups criticized Falwell for his important role in getting white evangelical Christians to support Trump. In April 2017, Falwell called Trump the "dream president" for evangelicals. He mentioned Trump's support for Israel and his appointment of religious people to his administration as reasons for this support. A few months later, Trump spoke at Liberty University's graduation ceremony.
In August 2017, after a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Falwell defended President Trump. He said Trump was not racist and that people were too easily offended by his way of speaking. In a January 2019 interview, Falwell was asked if anything Trump could do would make him lose support from evangelical leaders. Falwell answered, "No."
Support for Israel
In June 2016, Falwell showed his support for Israel when Liberty University decided to invest $5 million of its money there. Falwell stated that Liberty was happy to support Israel, calling it the "only democracy that's a close ally of the United States" in a troubled region.
In March 2020, as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) spread, many schools and universities closed. On March 13, Falwell announced that Liberty University would reopen for in-person classes after spring break, going against calls for schools to close. He also suggested a theory that North Korea and China worked together to create the coronavirus. He said people were overreacting and that some politicians were using the situation to harm President Trump.
When Liberty University reopened on March 23, about 1,900 students returned. Falwell claimed that the virus was not very dangerous for young people and blamed the media for exaggerating the threat. The mayor of Lynchburg and Virginia's governor criticized his decision to reopen.
By March 30, almost a dozen returning students had symptoms of COVID-19. The school then required any student who returned to self-quarantine for 14 days. A student later filed a lawsuit against Liberty University, saying that the university's decision to reopen was dangerous.
Personal Life
Jerry Falwell Jr. is married to Becki Tilley. They live on a farm in Bedford County, Virginia. They have three children, including their son, Jerry "Trey" Falwell III. Before leaving the university in 2021, Jerry Falwell Jr. was the president of university operations at Liberty University. He also owns a hostel in Miami called the Alton Hostel.
