Anyone want to talk about Falwell opening Liberty University back up?

[mathnerd]

Jerry Falwell Jr. is leaving his job for an indefinite duration due to a racy picture scandal ... thought of this thread when I saw the news today.

[katilac]

20 minutes ago, mathnerd said:

Jerry Falwell Jr. is leaving his job for an indefinite duration due to a racy picture scandal ... thought of this thread when I saw the news today.

I saw the picture but hadn't seen the update! 

[Laura Corin]

On 3/25/2020 at 4:09 PM, Medicmom2.0 said:

All the hype aside, here is what they are actually doing. https://www.liberty.edu/students/health-wellness/coronavirus/
 

The dorms and food service are open but classes are online.  I very strongly suspect they have a large number of stranded foreign students who just have no place else to go.

At the university where I  work the dorms never closed. They were just adapted to be safer. Foreign students but also orphans and fostered young people who may have no home  after age 18.

Edited August 8, 2020 by Laura Corin

[Guest]

5 hours ago, mathnerd said:

Jerry Falwell Jr. is leaving his job for an indefinite duration due to a racy picture scandal ... thought of this thread when I saw the news today.

As my daughter recently said to me, “Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.” 

[EmilyGF]

1 hour ago, Quill said:

As my daughter recently said to me, “Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.” 

That's going to be up there with the warning about "Hold my beer." (We live near some frats and the kids have seen that phrase in action... Sigh.)

[livetoread]

To me, it was only a question of when and what the scandal would be, not if. He is one of those high flying, “I am special and rules don’t really apply to me” types, with enough swagger and ego for several men. What’s always surprising to me is how many encourage, admire, and enable such people until it all comes crashing down. They are used by those who enjoy the money and influence the swagger brings, and then the users can step away tsk tsking when the inevitable crash happens. Blech.

Editing to add, he can count himself lucky if this is what the public scandal ends up being. I have no doubt he is hiding worse.

Edited August 8, 2020 by livetoread

[Pawz4me]

I'm finding it interesting (but totally not surprising) that my FB friends who were always sharing his posts seem to have gone totally silent now. The last four or so years have certainly shown us that many who claim to be Christian are more than willing to avert their eyes from bad behavior.

 

[Pawz4me]

6 minutes ago, Dreamergal said:

Of course Franklin Graham had to defend him  🙄 

They are like the proverbial two peas in a pod. I would absolutely not be surprised if some scandal eventually comes out about FG. although my guess is his would be more financial than sexual.

[teachermom2834]

The craziest thing is that he posted the picture himself. How drunk must he have been? We expect better social media control from our teens. 

[Pawz4me]

1 hour ago, teachermom2834 said:

The craziest thing is that he posted the picture himself. How drunk must he have been? We expect better social media control from our teens. 

He did a local radio interview Wednesday where he kinda sorta apologized. His speech was quite slurred, and he certainly seemed to be at least slightly intoxicated. So . . if he would do a radio interview in that state, there's no telling how far gone he was when he shared the photo.

[HS Mom in NC]

1 hour ago, Pawz4me said:

They are like the proverbial two peas in a pod.

They're children of celebrities doing what children of celebrities do. It's a crazy twisted Christianity that we have in America has that's resulted in Christian celebrities.

[mathnerd]

3 hours ago, livetoread said:

To me, it was only a question of when and what the scandal would be, not if. He is one of those high flying, “I am special and rules don’t really apply to me” types, with enough swagger and ego for several men. What’s always surprising to me is how many encourage, admire, and enable such people until it all comes crashing down. They are used by those who enjoy the money and influence the swagger brings, and then the users can step away tsk tsking when the inevitable crash happens. Blech.

Editing to add, he can count himself lucky if this is what the public scandal ends up being. I have no doubt he is hiding worse.

Cynical me believes that celebrities post smaller scandals like this about themselves in order to distract the public attention from something bigger  (maybe financial malpractices?)

18 minutes ago, Bagels McGruffikin said:

 Losing his position entirely would be appropriate, given those clauses. 

Something tells me that he will be back after this scandal blows over ...

[katilac]

2 hours ago, Danae said:

I suspect the board has wanted to get rid of him for quite some time and is, not glad, but maybe relieved that he did something public enough to give them cause but not something that will have massive fallout for the school. 

I don't think they're getting rid of him, he's just going on a leave of absence. If he doesn't return, I will be amazed. 

[KathyBC]

I saw the photo. I read his explanation of the photo. The 'scandal' is a large part of why I avoid organized Christian groups. The fact that secular folks wield the same judgmental pitchfork when it suits them is ironic. Of course this is all from a distance, the guy could be a slimeball for all that I personally know.
Has it come up yet that in fact Liberty did not contribute to some explosive Covid growth? I read they followed protocols on campus, and had results that did not stand out from the general population. That seems more relevant and hopeful.

[RootAnn]

Apparently, Falwell Jr is trying to somehow divert blame to his wife & the 'pool boy.'

https://theweek.com/speedreads/933178/jerry-falwell-jr-says-wife-affair-florida-pool-boy-claims-being-blackmailed

[Innisfree]

I wish Jerry Falwell Jr would go away and be quiet.

Edited August 24, 2020 by Innisfree

[Terabith]

On 8/10/2020 at 1:18 PM, KathyBC said:

I saw the photo. I read his explanation of the photo. The 'scandal' is a large part of why I avoid organized Christian groups. The fact that secular folks wield the same judgmental pitchfork when it suits them is ironic. Of course this is all from a distance, the guy could be a slimeball for all that I personally know.
Has it come up yet that in fact Liberty did not contribute to some explosive Covid growth? I read they followed protocols on campus, and had results that did not stand out from the general population. That seems more relevant and hopeful.

He is a complete slimeball.  

I think there is a lot more going on than just this tasteless photo, and the lack of judgement to post it yourself.

This picture was taken during a "family vacation" on a 50 meter yacht.  That class of boat costs at least $100k a week to charter, which seems like a lot of money even for someone making a few million a year.  Turns out the yacht is owned by the NASCAR team that Liberty pays millions of dollars to sponsor.  In many organizations, it is forbidden to accept personal gifts over some value from entities you do business with.

[mathnerd]

15 minutes ago, GGardner said:

I think there is a lot more going on than just this tasteless photo, and the lack of judgement to post it yourself.

This picture was taken during a "family vacation" on a 50 meter yacht.  That class of boat costs at least $100k a week to charter, which seems like a lot of money even for someone making a few million a year.  Turns out the yacht is owned by the NASCAR team that Liberty pays millions of dollars to sponsor.  In many organizations, it is forbidden to accept personal gifts over some value from entities you do business with.

I was waiting for financial irregularities to surface ... 

[fairfarmhand]

These people are SO gross. 

I'm a Christian and it makes me ANGRY that they behave this way.

[Guest]

On 8/10/2020 at 1:18 PM, KathyBC said:

I saw the photo. I read his explanation of the photo. The 'scandal' is a large part of why I avoid organized Christian groups. The fact that secular folks wield the same judgmental pitchfork when it suits them is ironic. Of course this is all from a distance, the guy could be a slimeball for all that I personally know.
Has it come up yet that in fact Liberty did not contribute to some explosive Covid growth? I read they followed protocols on campus, and had results that did not stand out from the general population. That seems more relevant and hopeful.

He’s a slimeball, sorry. I’m not sure what you mean about the same judgmental pitchfork but people who claim to be godly are held to a higher standard, yes. That is exactly how it should be. Students are supposed to follow a moral code at Liberty. Not holding himself to the same standard, at minimum, is pretty repugnant to me. 

Re: no explosive COVID growth so far is, IMO, moot. None of us knew in April what would happen by August, and none of us definitively knows in Aug what will happen by December. My son’s University has already pushed back their opening to virtual-only because 55 of 627 tests came back positive this weekend. 55 positives is certainly not explosive growth (campus is ~20,000) but that’s the point of early intervention with this thing, so that 55 is not 550 in two weeks and 5,500 in four. 

I don’t think it’s too smart for any corner of the country - or, perhaps, the world - to crow about not having a bad COVID problem so far. This thing can turn on a dime. 

[HS Mom in NC]

If you're going to tap into the "moral majority" target audience for financial support of your businesses and for political support and alliances, you should expect that moral majority to hold you to their highest moral standards. You. can't. have. it. both. ways.  You cannot appeal to a group's professed standards of morality issues and then not live up to those standards while expecting their support.  That's why people who give a rip about philosophical consistency are fed with this bunch and their business and political associates.

If you're not old enough to remember the Moral Majority group by Daddy Falwell here's a quick reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_Majority

Edited August 24, 2020 by Homeschool Mom in AZ

[HS Mom in NC]

14 minutes ago, Homeschool Mom in AZ said:

 

OOPS! dp.

Edited August 24, 2020 by Homeschool Mom in AZ

[Catwoman]

1 hour ago, Homeschool Mom in AZ said:

OOPS! dp.

 

Thats ok — it was worth saying it twice!!! 😄

[livetoread]

On 8/8/2020 at 9:58 AM, livetoread said:

To me, it was only a question of when and what the scandal would be, not if. He is one of those high flying, “I am special and rules don’t really apply to me” types, with enough swagger and ego for several men. What’s always surprising to me is how many encourage, admire, and enable such people until it all comes crashing down. They are used by those who enjoy the money and influence the swagger brings, and then the users can step away tsk tsking when the inevitable crash happens. Blech.

Editing to add, he can count himself lucky if this is what the public scandal ends up being. I have no doubt he is hiding worse.

Yeah, like I said...And I’m sure there’s more that will keep trickling out.

[MEmama]

2 hours ago, Homeschool Mom in AZ said:

If you're going to tap into the "moral majority" target audience for financial support of your businesses and for political support and alliances, you should expect that moral majority to hold you to their highest moral standards. You. can't. have. it. both. ways.  You cannot appeal to a group's professed standards of morality issues and then not live up to those standards while expecting their support.  That's why people who give a rip about philosophical consistency are fed with this bunch and their business and political associates.

If you're not old enough to remember the Moral Majority group by Daddy Falwell here's a quick reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_Majority

Back in the day my brother had a sticker on his motorcycle that said The Moral Majority is Neither. I remember trying to twist my brain around what that could possibly mean but I could never come up with anything satisfactory. I was the baby in the family and no one talked serious politics around me so it wasn’t until years later that I figured it out. 
 

Kids these days have it so easy with Google at their fingertips. No wonder they are smarter than us! Lol

[Amy in NH]

On 8/10/2020 at 1:18 PM, KathyBC said:

I saw the photo. I read his explanation of the photo. The 'scandal' is a large part of why I avoid organized Christian groups. The fact that secular folks wield the same judgmental pitchfork when it suits them is ironic. Of course this is all from a distance, the guy could be a slimeball for all that I personally know.
Has it come up yet that in fact Liberty did not contribute to some explosive Covid growth? I read they followed protocols on campus, and had results that did not stand out from the general population. That seems more relevant and hopeful.

The pitchforks from secular folks are not about the action, but the hypocrisy.  My secular friends are outraged that these jerks have used fear and oppression and a rigid morality they don’t even adhere to in order to bilk many many millions of dollars out of earnest Christians, while at the same time condemning secular folks for doing the same actions or even those less morally objectionable. We care that he is now blaming this all on his wife instead of taking responsibility for his part.  And we care that they influence politics with their professed superiority and religious legalism, knowing that their followers will do as they are told.  And we also care that they will just go cry crocodile tears and be forgiven by the devotees who will keep sending money.

[HS Mom in NC]

Another concern is how much looking the other way has gone on because of the financial gains Liberty got through Jr. Falwell's management. Surely others wonder how it is that so much money came pouring into Liberty in such a short time frame?  Has anyone or is anyone looking into that?  It's Liberty's name and reputation on the line, so it has always been in their best interest long term to be above board on all their business dealings. I can't imagine those business dealings aren't going to get more scrutinized now that there's no question about Falwell's willingness to do and participate in the wrong thing.

The pool boy rumors have been going on for years now. Did anyone in leadership at Liberty know or suspect but chose not to simply ask him about the allegations being true?  If someone did, were there any repercussions for it? 

[mathnerd]

The sordid details are out now: the boyfriend is claiming that both Mrs and Mr Falwell participated in the affair. 

https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-falwell-relationship/

[Catwoman]

8 minutes ago, mathnerd said:

The sordid details are out now: the boyfriend is claiming that both Mrs and Mr Falwell participated in the affair. 

https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-falwell-relationship/

 

Pictures or it didn’t happen!!! 😉

(I have no idea whose story to believe, because both neither this guy nor the Falwells seem like particularly wonderful people.) 

[mathnerd]

Just now, Catwoman said:

 

Pictures or it didn’t happen!!! 😉

(I have no idea whose story to believe, because both neither this guy nor the Falwells seem like particularly wonderful people.) 

Maybe he has pictures which is why he is talking 😉

 

[Corraleno]

27 minutes ago, Catwoman said:

 

Pictures or it didn’t happen!!! 😉

(I have no idea whose story to believe, because both neither this guy nor the Falwells seem like particularly wonderful people.) 

Well, the Reuters reporter says he can confirm that these pics exist: 

"The material Granda showed Reuters includes screenshots from what Granda said was a FaceTime conversation he had with the Falwells in 2019. During that call, Granda said, Becki was naked as the two discussed their relationship while Jerry peeked from behind a door. Reuters was able to verify Granda’s description of the screenshots. "

And Falwell just resigned.

 

Edited August 24, 2020 by Corraleno

[KathyBC]

I see this Falwell thing keeps growing. My reference was only to the first photo, and sorry but a pregnant lady and a middle aged dude comparing bellies in a photo should hardly be a scandal. But yeah, so often that stuff is just the tip of the iceberg. Not surprising, sadly.

As for a private university making use of protocols and achieving some success: Sorry to interrupt with even some faint optimism. Please carry on, I swear not to mention anything positive in this thread henceforward.

 

[Guest]

27 minutes ago, KathyBC said:

I see this Falwell thing keeps growing. My reference was only to the first photo, and sorry but a pregnant lady and a middle aged dude comparing bellies in a photo should hardly be a scandal. But yeah, so often that stuff is just the tip of the iceberg. Not surprising, sadly.

As for a private university making use of protocols and achieving some success: Sorry to interrupt with even some faint optimism. Please carry on, I swear not to mention anything positive in this thread henceforward.

 

Wait, what? Is *that* his prior “explanation” for what’s going on in the pants-unzipped on a yacht photo? Ummm...that does not jibe with the picture I saw. Nor with the words in the tweet. 

As to your second paragraph, you mistake my intentions. I simply do not trust anything looking like “good news” wrt this virus. It always seems to turn into foolish optimism in my experience of the past several months. 

ETA: So many questions, as I just looked at the photo again, trying to see it as a pregnant-belly joke. Why is his arm around a woman with their clothes in this state, if it was just a preggers joke? Is she pregnant with his child? Because otherwise, who would permit that photo, i.e., if I ever made a pregnant belly joke like that, it wouldn’t be with any man but my husband, if I would ever do it to begin with. He claims his jeans are too small to zip, but why would he have too-small jeans on a trip? And the “black water” photo prop (riiiighhhht...). 

Edited August 24, 2020 by Quill

2 hours ago, Homeschool Mom in AZ said:

Another concern is how much looking the other way has gone on because of the financial gains Liberty got through Jr. Falwell's management. Surely others wonder how it is that so much money came pouring into Liberty in such a short time frame?  Has anyone or is anyone looking into that?  It's Liberty's name and reputation on the line, so it has always been in their best interest long term to be above board on all their business dealings.

 

Actually, this is the least controversial part of this whole mess.  LU has almost 100,000 online students, and their online offerings are a gold mine for the institution, and finance most everything else.  The University was deeply in debt until the Internet and online education got big, and now the online side is the financial engine which drives the whole enterprise.

The bigger question, to my mind, isn't where all this money is coming from, rather, it is where is the money going to?

[Catwoman]

30 minutes ago, KathyBC said:

I see this Falwell thing keeps growing. My reference was only to the first photo, and sorry but a pregnant lady and a middle aged dude comparing bellies in a photo should hardly be a scandal. But yeah, so often that stuff is just the tip of the iceberg. Not surprising, sadly.

As for a private university making use of protocols and achieving some success: Sorry to interrupt with even some faint optimism. Please carry on, I swear not to mention anything positive in this thread henceforward.

 

 

Under normal circumstances, I would agree that the “belly” photo was no big deal, but it sounds like students have been expelled from Liberty University for far less, and that’s why people made such a fuss about it. If Jerry Jr went around judging everyone else for their attire and their actions, it seems only fair that he should be called out when he breaks his own rules.

And it’s not even like someone sneaked on to the yacht, took a secret smarmy photo, and posted it online. Jerry Jr posted it himself! I mean, seriously, what an idiot! He couldn’t even claim invasion of privacy, or say that the photo was a fake and that somebody Photoshopped his head onto some other guy’s body. 

People keep saying he must have been incredibly drunk to have posted that picture, and it’s hard to think of any other explanation.

[Junie]

There's a job opening at the White House...

 

I just keep thinking that this is so sad and his parents would have been heartbroken.

Edited August 24, 2020 by Junie

[KathyBC]

40 minutes ago, Quill said:

Wait, what? Is *that* his prior “explanation” for what’s going on in the pants-unzipped on a yacht photo? Ummm...that does not jibe with the picture I saw. Nor with the words in the tweet. 

As to your second paragraph, you mistake my intentions. I simply do not trust anything looking like “good news” wrt this virus. It always seems to turn into foolish optimism in my experience of the past several months. 

ETA: So many questions, as I just looked at the photo again, trying to see it as a pregnant-belly joke. Why is his arm around a woman with their clothes in this state, if it was just a preggers joke? Is she pregnant with his child? Because otherwise, who would permit that photo, i.e., if I ever made a pregnant belly joke like that, it wouldn’t be with any man but my husband, if I would ever do it to begin with. He claims his jeans are too small to zip, but why would he have too-small jeans on a trip? And the “black water” photo prop (riiiighhhht...). 

I can really relate to that feeling, for sure.

[mathnerd]

2 hours ago, KathyBC said:

I see this Falwell thing keeps growing. My reference was only to the first photo, and sorry but a pregnant lady and a middle aged dude comparing bellies in a photo should hardly be a scandal. But yeah, so often that stuff is just the tip of the iceberg.
 

This is news to me. I did not know that she being pregnant was the explanation for the picture. I assumed that he was too drunk and was behaving bizarrely.

[Sneezyone]

He has, finally, agreed to resign (or is negotiating his resignation). https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2020/08/24/jerry-falwell-jr-agrees-resign-liberty-university/

Edited August 25, 2020 by Sneezyone

[Corraleno]

8 minutes ago, mathnerd said:

This is news to me. I did not know that she being pregnant was the explanation for the picture. I assumed that he was too drunk and was behaving bizarrely.

He claimed that she couldn't zip her pants because she was pregnant, so he unzipped his pants in sympathy 🙄

[Sneezyone]

2 hours ago, GGardner said:

 

Actually, this is the least controversial part of this whole mess.  LU has almost 100,000 online students, and their online offerings are a gold mine for the institution, and finance most everything else.  The University was deeply in debt until the Internet and online education got big, and now the online side is the financial engine which drives the whole enterprise.

The bigger question, to my mind, isn't where all this money is coming from, rather, it is where is the money going to?

 

They target, HEAVILY, the military community. They also market heavily to homeschoolers locally.

[Corraleno]

2 hours ago, GGardner said:

The bigger question, to my mind, isn't where all this money is coming from, rather, it is where is the money going to?

Well, the university apparently spends $6 million per year to sponsor the Hendrick Motorsports NASCAR team, which seems like an odd thing for a university to spend millions of dollars on. Coincidently, Falwell gets to use Hendrick's 164' luxury yacht (which normally rents for up to $200,000/wk) several times per year for vacations in places like the Greek islands. There's also a long history of Liberty issuing generous loans and lucrative contracts to Falwell's friends and family, selling property owned by Liberty to Falwell friends, etc.

[Catwoman]

11 minutes ago, Corraleno said:

Well, the university apparently spends $6 million per year to sponsor the Hendrick Motorsports NASCAR team, which seems like an odd thing for a university to spend millions of dollars on. Coincidently, Falwell gets to use Hendrick's 164' luxury yacht (which normally rents for up to $200,000/wk) several times per year for vacations in places like the Greek islands. There's also a long history of Liberty issuing generous loans and lucrative contracts to Falwell's friends and family, selling property owned by Liberty to Falwell friends, etc.

 

Nice work if you can get it! 😉 

Edited to add — I keep thinking about this, and I am astounded at the level of entitlement and sheer stupidity that Jerry Jr has shown. What person in his right mind would risk so much money, power, and success just so he could watch his wife have s*x with the pool boy? Who would be dumb (or arrogant) enough to go online and post a photo that any fool would have realized could cost him his job and his reputation? 

But hey, what could possibly go wrong? Why wouldn’t he keep getting away with it forever, right? Why would anyone have the incentive to try to shove him off his holier-than-thou pedestal?

I guess he is learning the answer to all of those questions right about now.

I don’t feel sorry for him in the slightest.

Edited August 25, 2020 by Catwoman

[katilac]

3 hours ago, Catwoman said:

 

Pictures or it didn’t happen!!! 😉

 

Please, no. My eyes will be so offended I might have to pluck them out. 

[Catwoman]

4 minutes ago, katilac said:

Please, no. My eyes will be so offended I might have to pluck them out. 

 

You’re right!!! What was I thinking??? Never mind!!!

[livetoread]

There were pictures according to Michael Cohen, though he did not specify they involved the pool boy - just racy photos. Interesting story there involving endorsement timelines and such. Feel free to google.

[RootAnn]

3 hours ago, Corraleno said:

He claimed that she couldn't zip her pants because she was pregnant, so he unzipped his pants in sympathy 🙄

I thought he implied that the virus lockdown made him gain weight so his pants didn't zip completely either? I thought many things about the picture were in bad taste but I did actually "get" the idea of the photo joke. It just isn't funny when it isn't your pregnant wife you have your arm around.

I hope he doesn't just slip into another leadership role elsewhere..eTA: I see I must have read Falwell's later explanation about the picture & not just been going off the text under the photo. Sorry!

Edited August 25, 2020 by RootAnn

[mathnerd]

6 hours ago, Sneezyone said:

He has, finally, agreed to resign (or is negotiating his resignation). https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2020/08/24/jerry-falwell-jr-agrees-resign-liberty-university/

Apparently, he reversed course on his resignation and is denying that he resigned.

https://www.liberty.edu/news/2020/08/24/jerry-falwell-jr-agrees-to-resign-as-liberty-universitys-president-then-reverses-course/

Jerry Falwell, Jr. agrees to resign as Liberty University’s president then reverses course

August 24, 2020 : By Office of Communications & Public Engagement 

Lynchburg, VA—On the first day of classes of Liberty University’s fall term, Jerry Falwell, Jr., agreed to resign as its President and from its Board of Directors, but following media reports about the resignation, withdrew it.

 

Edited August 25, 2020 by mathnerd

[Guest]

4 hours ago, mathnerd said:

Apparently, he reversed course on his resignation and is denying that he resigned.

https://www.liberty.edu/news/2020/08/24/jerry-falwell-jr-agrees-to-resign-as-liberty-universitys-president-then-reverses-course/

Jerry Falwell, Jr. agrees to resign as Liberty University’s president then reverses course

August 24, 2020 : By Office of Communications & Public Engagement 

Lynchburg, VA—On the first day of classes of Liberty University’s fall term, Jerry Falwell, Jr., agreed to resign as its President and from its Board of Directors, but following media reports about the resignation, withdrew it.

 

What.is.he.playing.