Jerry Falwell Jr. has sued Liberty University in a Virginia court on the heels of having recently stepped down as chancellor and president of the evangelical school his late father launched.
Mr. Falwell sued for defamation and breach of contract Wednesday in Lynchburg Circuit Court, roughly two months since a series of scandals culminated with his resignation from Liberty University.
“When Mr. Falwell and his family became the targets of a malicious smear campaign incited by anti-evangelical forces, Liberty University not only accepted the salacious and baseless accusations against the Falwells at face value, but directly participated in the defamation,” his lawyers wrote.
“This action seeks redress for the damage Liberty has caused to the reputation of Mr. Falwell and his family,” the lawsuit reads in part.
Liberty University “would need to read and review a lawsuit before making comment, and as of this moment we have not been served,” Scott Lamb, the school’s senior vice president and spokesman, said in a statement to The Washington Times.
Mr. Falwell, 58, served as Liberty’s president after his father’s death in 2007 until earlier this year.
Liberty announced in early August that Mr. Falwell had begun an indefinite leave of absence in light of a somewhat scandalous social media post that spurred calls for his resignation.
Mr. Falwell resigned later that month shortly after a former business partner alleged that he had a longtime sexual relationship with Mr. Falwell and his wife.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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