Liberty University will pay its former president, Jerry Falwell Jr., about $15 million to settle litigation following his 2020 resignation after a high-profile sex scandal that drew national attention to the private Christian institution.
While the settlement was announced in 2024, neither Falwell nor Liberty shared details about what it included − or how much Falwell would get paid.
But buried deep in a recently filed 2023-2024 tax form, the university revealed it’s paying Falwell a multi-million figure to “settle certain claims and close certain transactions.” As part of the agreement, Falwell agreed to pay the university $440,000 to settle “disputed expenses” between him and the university. Details about those claims were not included.
In total, Falwell will receive roughly $5.5 million to settle the lawsuits in addition to roughly $9.7 million he already received as part of his retirement package, according to the tax documents.
Liberty University declined to comment. University spokesperson Ryan Helfenbein instead directed a reporter to a 2024 news release about the agreement in which both parties said that statements beyond the settlement were not “necessary nor constructive.” “Both the University’s Board of Trustees and Jerry Falwell, Jr. sincerely regret the lengthy and painful litigation process, and each take responsibility for their part in the disputes,” the release at the time stated. “Falwell acknowledges and apologizes for the errors in judgement and mistakes made during his time of leadership. The Board of Trustees acknowledge and apologize for the errors and mistakes made on their part as well.”
Falwell also declined to comment on specifics about the agreement, but said he was “very pleased with the outcome of the settlement negotiations and with the final settlement.”
The settlement could mark the end of an embarrassing chapter for Liberty, one of the largest Christian universities in the country. The school prides itself on promoting fundamental Biblical values. For instance, it prohibits its students from having sex outside of marriage or drinking alcohol (though that rule doesn’t apply to online students not on campus), per its honor code, The Liberty Way.
Falwell took over the university in 2007 following the death of his father and founder of the university, the Rev. Jerry Falwell Sr. The younger Falwell helped grow student enrollment, much of it through online classes, while making it a mainstay among top Republicans. And he was one of the first evangelical leaders to endorse President Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign.
