LYNCHBURG, Va. — Jerry Falwell, Jr., the president of Liberty University, which hails itself as the world’s largest Christian university, has explained, and expressed regret over, a controversial vacation photograph in which he had his pants unzipped while standing next to his wife’s assistant, who likewise had her fly unbuttoned. A federal congressman, who is a former pastor and serves on Liberty University’s Music Faculty Advisory Board, is calling for Falwell to resign due to continued concerns about his behavior.
“She’s pregnant, so she couldn’t get her pants up,” Falwell told the WLNI “MorningLine” radio show on Wednesday. “I had on a pair of jeans that I hadn’t worn in a long time, so I couldn’t get mine zipped either.”
“So, I just put my belly out like hers,” Falwell continued. “I should never have put it (the photo) up and embarrassed her.”
He said that he has apologized over the matter, which happened at a costume party on a yacht that was “just in good fun.”
“I’ve apologized to everybody, and I promised my kids I’m going to try to be a good boy from here on out,” Falwell said.
As previously reported, Falwell recently participated in a “Trailer Park Boys”-themed outing on a yacht while on vacation. The vile Canadian-based show filled with profanity, alcoholism, drug use, sexual immorality and other ungodliness features episode titles such as “[Expletive] Community College, Let’s Get Drunk and Eat Chicken Fingers,” “I’m Not Gay, I Love Lucy … Wait A Second, Maybe I Am Gay,” “Gimme My [Expletive] Money Or Randy’s Dead”, and “You Want The Lot Fees, [Sexual Vulgarity]”.
The imitation of the characters at the costume party was made into a video, which was deleted but downloaded by a polemics outlet before it was taken down. Falwell was the lead character, Julian (see below).
In the photo that Falwell posted — and then deleted, Falwell held a faux glass of alcohol and stood with his shirt rolled up and his pants completely unzipped. His wife’s assistant, who was the character Lucy on “Trailer Park Boys”, likewise had her shirt pushed up with short ripped shorts that were unbuttoned.
On Thursday evening, Rep. Mark Walker, R-NC, who once worked as a professor at Liberty University and now serves on the Music Faculty Advisory Board, took to social media to opine that Falwell should resign as president.
“Jerry Falwell Jr.’s ongoing behavior is appalling,” he wrote. “As a Music Faculty Advisory Board member and former instructor @LibertyU, I’m convinced Falwell should step down.”
“None of us are perfect,” Walker continued, “but students, faculty, alumni and @LUPraise deserve better.”
His post generated both agreement and dispute.
“Obviously perfection is what you are looking for and not repentance. Jerry has done a great job leading LU and a great job listening to the community when he offends. He also led well during COVID 19,” wrote follower Steven Mosley.
“A congressman has better things to do during this time of crises than to cause division,” wrote Rick Amato. “Out of the same mouth come praises to god and curses on a man?”
“As a Liberty alum myself, I have not appreciated many of the words which have come out of his mouth (especially during our current climate). This is ridiculous and absolutely unprofessional,” opined follower Dan Walker. “He can’t expect students and faculty to uphold a standard that he himself won’t uphold.”
“As a fellow North Carolinian, @LibertyUAlum, and above all else, a Christian, I couldn’t agree more. For the sake of the school and for the sake of Jerry’s soul, it is needed,” stated Austin Edwards. “Thank you for your voice.”
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