GOP Congressman Wants Jerry Falwell Jr. to Step Down From Liberty University

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Jerry Falwell Jr.’s father had a dream of college that would be the Evangelical equivilent of Catholic institution Notre Dame or the Mormon’s Brigham Young. And that school, Liberty University, has grown by leaps and bounds.

The school has an enrollment of close to 80,000 and competes in NCAA Division I sports. The school, however, has a Jerry Falwell Jr. problem. Today, North Carolina congressman Mark Walker, called on him to step down from the University.

Falwell Jr. recently posted a picture in a state of undress, posing alongside his wife’s assitant. This was just the latest in a string of incidents for the Liberty University President.

Walker took Falwell Jr. to task, writing, “Jerry Falwell Jr’s ongoing behavior is appalling. As a Music Faculty Advisory Board Member and former instructor at Liberty University, I’m convinced Falwell should step down. None of us are perfect, but students, faculty, alumni and LU Praise deserve better.”

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Falwell Jr. has had a troubled 2020. While COVID-19 was raging around the country in late March, he reopened Liberty’s Lynchville, Virginia campus. Within days, a number of students were infected and the school had to reshutter.

The University President has also gotten in the way of the schools burgeoning sports program. After Falwell Jr. criticized the Black Lives Matter movement, two of the schools most prominent athletes decided to transfer.

Tayvion Land, the highest rated recruit the Liberty football team had ever signed, tweeted, “Unfortunately, due to the racial insensitivity displayed by leadership at Liberty University, I have decided to enter my name into the transfer portal and no longer be a student-athlete at Liberty University.”

Todd Neikirk

Todd Neikirk is a New Jersey based politics and technology writer. His work has been featured in psfk.com, foxsports.com and hillreporter.com. He enjoys sports, politics, comic books and spending time at the shore with his family.