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Liberty University has struck an agreement with former president Jerry Falwell Jr., who sued the evangelical institution for trademark infringement last year, claiming his former employer was using his famous father’s name, image and likeness without the permission of the Falwell Trust.
Jerry Falwell Sr. founded Liberty in 1971 and was the face of the institution until his death in 2007. The younger Falwell served in the administrative ranks at Liberty under his father, then spent 13 years as president until he resigned abruptly in 2020 amid a sex scandal. Falwell, who made headlines at Liberty for endorsing Republican candidate Donald Trump in the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election, was a prominent figure in evangelical circles before his sudden fall.
The university announced the settlement but not the details on Friday.
“Nearly four years after he stepped aside as Liberty University’s fourth president, Jerry Falwell, Jr. and the Board of Trustees of the University announced today they have reached a global resolution agreement settling all outstanding disputes on both legal and personal matters,” officials wrote in the settlement announcement.
The statement noted that both LU’s Board of Trustees and Falwell “sincerely regret the lengthy and painful litigation process, and each take responsibility for their part in the disputes.” While Falwell “acknowledges and apologizes for the errors in judgement and mistakes made during his time of leadership,” the statement continued, the board also apologized for unspecified “errors and mistakes.”
According to an email that current LU president Dondi Costin sent to the campus community, Falwell is now welcome back on campus, reversing a ban on his presence on university property.
Falwell has largely denied any wrongdoing in the scandal in which he was accused of watching his wife participate in sexual encounters with another man, as well as in a sprawling Title IX case brought against Liberty that claims the university covered up sexual assault for years.
Liberty University was fined $14 million in March by the U.S. Department of Education, which found that the university had long discouraged sexual assault victims from coming forward, among other behaviors. LU is also subject to increased federal monitoring through April 2026.
