Jerry Falwell Jr took an indefinite leave of absence on Friday (US time) as the leader of Liberty University, one of the United States’ top evangelical Christian colleges, days after apologising for a social media post that caused an uproar even among fellow conservatives.
The private university in Lynchburg, Virginia, gave no reason for Falwell’s departure in a one-sentence announcement on Friday afternoon. But it came after Falwell’s apology earlier this week for a since-deleted photo he posted online showing him with his pants unzipped, stomach exposed and his arm around a young woman in a similar pose.
The statement said the executive committee of Liberty’s board of trustees, acting on behalf of the full board, met on Friday and requested Falwell take leave as president and chancellor, “to which he has agreed, effective immediately”.
