Liberty University is suing former president Jerry Falwell Jr. for millions of dollars, accusing him of withholding damaging personal information from school officials while negotiating a lucrative employment agreement for himself, among other allegations.
The civil suit was filed Thursday in the Lynchburg Circuit Court in Virginia, and alleges breach of contract and fiduciary duty as well as statutory conspiracy. It is seeking $10 million in compensatory damages, which could potentially be tripled under state law, in addition to punitive damages and the return of phones, computers and other property belonging to the school.
In a 74-page complaint, Liberty offered three motivations behind the lawsuit: to recover university property, redress breaches of various fiduciary duties during Falwell's tenure and recover damages for violations of Virginia's conspiracy statute.
Liberty University v Jerry Falwell Jr.
Liberty University v Jerry Falwell Jr.
NPR Article
- MN-Skeptic
- Posts: 3110
- Joined: Mon Feb 22, 2021 1:03 pm
- Location: Twin Cities
- Tiredretiredlawyer
- Posts: 7734
- Joined: Tue Feb 23, 2021 10:07 pm
- Location: Rescue Pets Land
- Occupation: 21st Century Suffragist
- Verified: ✅🐴🐎🦄🌻5000 posts and counting
Re: Liberty University v Jerry Falwell Jr.
![Group Dance :groupdance:](./images/smilies/fam21.gif)
"Mickey Mouse and I grew up together." - Ruthie Tompson, Disney animation checker and scene planner and one of the first women to become a member of the International Photographers Union in 1952.
- sterngard friegen
- Posts: 273
- Joined: Mon Feb 22, 2021 9:51 am
Re: Liberty University v Jerry Falwell Jr.
Maybe Liberty will get lucky and Steve Biss will represent Falwell.
Neither disbarred nor disciplined after representing President Barack Obama. ![Old Man :oldman:](./images/smilies/old_man_SMILEY.gif)
![Old Man :oldman:](./images/smilies/old_man_SMILEY.gif)
-
- Posts: 386
- Joined: Tue Mar 30, 2021 2:03 am
Re: Liberty University v Jerry Falwell Jr.
Biss is just as good an attorney as Avenatti, but he lacks Avenatti’s incomparable panache.
![Bored :bored:](./images/smilies/boredsmiley.gif)
![Bored :bored:](./images/smilies/boredsmiley.gif)
- Foggy
- Dick Tater
- Posts: 9649
- Joined: Mon Feb 22, 2021 8:45 am
- Location: Fogbow HQ
- Occupation: Dick Tater/Space Cadet
- Verified: as seen on qvc zombie apocalypse
Re: Liberty University v Jerry Falwell Jr.
... and his girlfriend isn't as cute.NewMexGirl wrote: ↑Sat Apr 17, 2021 1:30 am Biss is just as good an attorney as Avenatti, but he lacks Avenatti’s incomparable panache.
![]()
Does anyone think Liberty U. is going to learn from the experience? Maybe look for someone who isn't a grifter?
![Nope :nope:](./images/smilies/eusa_snooty.gif)
![Talk To The Hand :talktothehand:](./images/smilies/hand.gif)
The more I learn about this planet, the more improbable it all seems.
![Confused :confuzzled:](./images/smilies/confused.gif)
- Tiredretiredlawyer
- Posts: 7734
- Joined: Tue Feb 23, 2021 10:07 pm
- Location: Rescue Pets Land
- Occupation: 21st Century Suffragist
- Verified: ✅🐴🐎🦄🌻5000 posts and counting
Re: Liberty University v Jerry Falwell Jr.
That isn't physically or metaphysically possible. It is a church based school. Churches are the ultimate grifts. (For those Fogbow churchgoers, I tithed many a year before choosing other places to donate. I tired of the constant money request though I saw good use from some of it. As a good Catholic girl, I experienced guilt and unhealthy self denial from the pressure.)Foggy wrote: ↑Sat Apr 17, 2021 8:38 am... and his girlfriend isn't as cute.NewMexGirl wrote: ↑Sat Apr 17, 2021 1:30 am Biss is just as good an attorney as Avenatti, but he lacks Avenatti’s incomparable panache.
![]()
Does anyone think Liberty U. is going to learn from the experience? Maybe look for someone who isn't a grifter?![]()
![]()
"Mickey Mouse and I grew up together." - Ruthie Tompson, Disney animation checker and scene planner and one of the first women to become a member of the International Photographers Union in 1952.
-
- Posts: 512
- Joined: Mon Feb 22, 2021 10:58 am
- Location: San Mateo, Calif
- Occupation: Slave to my cats
Re: Liberty University v Jerry Falwell Jr.
IMHO this is all going to end in a confidential settlement where no one admits anything and they agree to mutual walk-aways. Falwell, despite his bluster, has way too many skeletons to have a public fight, and I suspect that a lot of his self-dealing transactions also managed to financially favor members of the Board of Trustees and important donors, who also don't want to see them publicly disclosed. They are all scum, slime and vipers.
- Tiredretiredlawyer
- Posts: 7734
- Joined: Tue Feb 23, 2021 10:07 pm
- Location: Rescue Pets Land
- Occupation: 21st Century Suffragist
- Verified: ✅🐴🐎🦄🌻5000 posts and counting
Re: Liberty University v Jerry Falwell Jr.
https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/nationa ... l/3190138/
Judge Upholds Liberty University's Suit Against Falwell
A Lynchburg judge has upheld most of a lawsuit Liberty University filed against its former leader, Jerry Falwell Jr., after an acrimonious parting last year. The lawsuit survived its first round of legal challenges Friday as Falwell's attorneys argued motions seeking its dismissal before Lynchburg Circuit Judge Fred Watson, The News & Advance reported.
Liberty claims Falwell crafted a “well-resourced exit strategy” from his role as president and chancellor at the school in the form of a lucrative 2019 employment agreement while withholding damaging information about the personal scandal that exploded into public view the following year. The agreement included a raise, which Falwell has said amounted to $250,000, and a $2.5 million severance package.
The lawsuit demanding at least $10 million alleged that Falwell breached fiduciary duties to the school and entered into a business conspiracy against it. Fiduciary duties don’t include disclosures of personal issues, even embarrassing ones, Vernon Inge, a lawyer representing Falwell, argued Friday. Falwell couldn’t be engaged in a business conspiracy with Granda against the university when the men were at odds, he argued.
Inge asked the court to order the university to cut out many pictures and statements in the lawsuit that aren’t relevant and are “rife with, frankly, personal attacks.”
The question of whether Falwell had a duty to disclose the alleged extortion attempts is for a jury to decide, said Scott Oostdyk, the attorney representing the university.
"Mickey Mouse and I grew up together." - Ruthie Tompson, Disney animation checker and scene planner and one of the first women to become a member of the International Photographers Union in 1952.
- Foggy
- Dick Tater
- Posts: 9649
- Joined: Mon Feb 22, 2021 8:45 am
- Location: Fogbow HQ
- Occupation: Dick Tater/Space Cadet
- Verified: as seen on qvc zombie apocalypse
Re: Liberty University v Jerry Falwell Jr.
A classic example of reality in This Modern World - Falwell didn't steal enough money.
Of course, it's true that you get a whole different type of justice if you're rich, in this great land of ours. But $2.5 million - even $10 million - isn't RICH enough. You gotta steal a hundred million, minimum, if'n you want to move up to a higher level of involvement in court proceedings.
Dumbass.![Black Eye :blackeye:](./images/smilies/blackeye.gif)
Of course, it's true that you get a whole different type of justice if you're rich, in this great land of ours. But $2.5 million - even $10 million - isn't RICH enough. You gotta steal a hundred million, minimum, if'n you want to move up to a higher level of involvement in court proceedings.
Dumbass.
![Black Eye :blackeye:](./images/smilies/blackeye.gif)
The more I learn about this planet, the more improbable it all seems.
![Confused :confuzzled:](./images/smilies/confused.gif)