REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
- Liberty University filed a lawsuit against former President Jerry Falwell Jr. two weeks ago.
- On Thursday, he showed up at a student event and invited them to a graduation party at his home.
- Liberty has also banned all staff from communicating with Falwell.
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Former Liberty president Jerry Falwell Jr. showed up at a student event uninvited and announced a graduation party at his home, a few weeks after the university sued him, Politico reported.
"I just want to invite all the seniors to my farm on May 8. We're going to have the real Liberty graduation," Falwell told the students, standing on a small stage erected outside an off-campus student house, according to a video reviewed by POLITICO. "If you're not a senior but you date one, you can come, too."
Two weeks ago, Liberty University filed a lawsuit in Virginia state court against Falwell alleging he misused university resources and tried to conceal a relationship involving a former pool boy. The University also banned all staff from communicating with Falwell.
The university said in the lawsuit that Falwell's years-long effort to conceal his "illicit conduct" hurt the university's reputation and breached the school code of conduct.
Politico reported that Falwell and his wife Becki showed up to a Thursday school event where around 200 students were gathered unannounced and uninvited.
A student who was there told Politico that Falwell's daughter, who is also a student at the university, told Falwell "Please don't come."
The Falwells have been engrossed in controversy including reports that he and Becki had a multi-year affair with a pool boy.
"We'd love to have you out there. Becki says there's no way we can plan it that fast, but we can and we will," Falwell said. He also encouraged students to share party information on social media, Politico reported.
In August 2020, Giancarlo Granda told Reuters that he had a multi-year sexual relationship with Falwell and his wife Becki. Granada said he met the couple in Miami in 2012.
Falwell said it was only his wife who participated in the affair.
In August 2020, Falwell posted a picture of himself with his pants unzipped, holding an alcoholic beverage in his hand, and with his arm around a woman at a yacht party. The photo outraged the US evangelical Christian community.
The photo also violated Liberty's code of conduct. The university strictly requires students to dress "modestly" and also bars students from drinking.