Jerry Falwell Jr. of Liberty University on Saturday, May 13, 2017, Lynchburg, Virginia. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)
Jerry Falwell Jr. has submitted his resignation from the post as president of Liberty University, a report from Religion News Service states, "within hours of the publication of a news story that alleged he and his wife Becki had a years-long sexual relationship with a business associate."
The RNS report said a Reuters report alleged Giancarlo Granda, a former pool attendant at a hotel in Miami Beach, claimed to have had a relationship with Becki Falwell while Jerry Falwell looked on.
"Becki and I developed an intimate relationship and Jerry enjoyed watching from the corner of the room," Granda said in the Reuters story.
Giancarlo Granda and Jerry Falwell Jr.
Falwell already had been placed on leave by the school after he posted, then deleted, an image on social media showing him with his arm around a woman at a party. The woman's pants were unzipped.
There were multiple calls for his departure.
One came from Colby Garman, pastor of the Pillar Church in Dumfries, Virginia, who last week released a letter from 50 school alumni calling for Falwell's departure.
After the Reuters report, he was on social media explaining that if the allegations are true, it would be "a reminder of just how deeply entangling sin can become."
Liberty is one of the nation's largest Christian universities and Falwell has been its chief since 2007 following his father, the school's founder.
Just a day earlier, the Washington Examiner reported Falwell reported suffering from depression because of his wife's affair, and he then claimed that "friend" had been threatening to expose it.
"Over the course of the last few months, this person's behavior has reached a level that we have decided the only way to stop this predatory behavior is to go public," Falwell's statement to the Examiner explained.
"We have categorically rejected this person’s demands while dealing with him and this particular member of the media who seemed just as obsessed with the prurient, untrue aspects of this story, however fantastic," he said.
Reuters said Granda showed the agency emails and text messages "he says demonstrate the sexual nature of his relationship with the couple."
Becki Falwell (Video screenshot)
Granda claimed the relationship soured when he wanted to dissolve his ties to the couple and he also fell into a business dispute with them.
The business deal involving the two sides apparently was a Miami Beach youth hostel in which they all had interests. A Falwell representative said at the time the deal was set up Granda lived in Miami and would act as a manager.
Liberty University now has an enrollment that is more than 100,000 students.
It's honor code states, "Sexual relations outside of a biblically ordained marriage between a natural-born man and a natural-born woman are not permissible at Liberty University."
One of the social-media messages cited by Reuters was a text message from Becki Falwell to Granda that said, "Right now I am just missing you like crazy .... Have you had this effect on all of your lady friends?”
Another, from Granda to Falwell, said, "Since you’re okay with ruining my life, I am going to take the kamikaze route. It really is a shame because I wanted to reach a peaceful resolution and just move on with our lives but if conflict is what you want, then so be it."
Reuters reported Granda told the publication he willing entered into the relationship with Becki, but now he feels like the couple preyed on him.
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