Liberty confirms Falwell’s exit

Liberty University’s Board of Trustees said Tuesday it had accepted the resignation of Jerry Falwell Jr. as the school’s president, chancellor, and board member. His severance package, according to a statement released by the board, “was dictated by the terms of his preexisting employment agreement.”

Was this expected? After the events of Sunday and Monday, yes. In reports by the Washington Examiner and Reuters, Falwell and Giancarlo Granda, respectively, told their sides of a story involving a long-term extra-marital affair Granda had with Falwell’s wife, Becki, and a business agreement that turned sour. Falwell accused Granda, a former family friend, of blackmail, while Granda said Falwell knew about and participated in the affair. Each man denied the other’s accusations and sparked a daylong media stakeout of Falwell’s employment at the school founded by his late father, Jerry Falwell Sr. “After agreeing yesterday to immediately resign then reversing course, Falwell, through an attorney, sent the resignation letter late last night to members of the board’s Executive Committee pursuant to the terms of his contract of employment,” the board said.

Dig deeper: Read my report in The Sift for more details on the events that unfolded at Liberty the past few days.