A growing number of Liberty University graduates are calling on fellow alumni to return their diplomas to the evangelical Christian university in protest of Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr.’s support for President Trump and his defense of the president’s remarks on Charlottesville, Va.
More than 300 people joined a Facebook group titled “Return your diploma to LU,” which encourages Liberty graduates to mail their diplomas back to the Lynchburg, Va., university by Sept. 5. The graduates are also writing letters to Falwell and the Board of Trustees detailing their reasons for revoking their support and calling for Falwell to denounce Trump’s comments.
“We are thoughtful, kind, smart, ethical, conscientious people, and we stand in solidarity with anti-racists,” a post by one of the group’s administrators read. “We do not equivocate on issues of white supremacy, white nationalism, anti-Muslim or anti-immigrant sentiments, ableism, or antisemitism. We love and support our fellow citizens and noncitizens alike. We love and support the LGBTQIA community. We have diverse political, ideological, and religious views but we all stand in solidarity for a more inclusive, more just society.
“And we recognize how the figurehead of LU has risen to prominence in a way that impacts more than just the local community in and around Lynchburg, but is poised to negatively impact many people in America by advocating for terrible policies, and generally supporting an appalling president and presidential administration.”
Falwell has praised Trump’s comments about the violence in Charlottesville, where white nationalist groups clashed with counter-protesters last week, first on Twitter and then in subsequent media interviews.
One woman died and 19 others were injured when a suspected Nazi sympathizer plowed his car into a crowd protesting the white nationalist groups.
“Finally a leader in WH. Jobs returning, N Korea backing down, bold truthful stmt about #charlottesville tragedy.So proud of @realdonaldtrump,” Falwell tweeted last week.
Finally a leader in WH. Jobs returning, N Korea backing down, bold truthful stmt about #charlottesville tragedy.So proud of @realdonaldtrump
— Jerry Falwell (@JerryFalwellJr) August 16, 2017
When asked Sunday about the growing movement of students and alumni criticizing his support for Trump during an interview with ABC, Falwell said the students misinterpreted his comments.
“He has inside information that I don’t have,” Falwell said of Trump. “I don’t know if there were historical purists there who were trying to preserve some statues.”
Trump said last week there were “very, very fine people” involved in the protests in Charlottesville and said “both sides” were to blame.
Falwell has been an ardent supporter of Trump, and the president delivered the commencement address to Liberty’s class of 2017 this year.
But not all members of the student body have backed the president.
In October, the group Liberty United Against Trump denounced the president and Falwell after the release of the “Access Hollywood” tape, on which Trump was heard making vulgar comments about women.
More than 2,000 Liberty students and faculty signed the statement rebuking Trump.
In the new round, some are saying they believe Falwell is “unfit” to continue leading the evangelical Christian school.
“Falwell has shown himself to be unabashedly in service of money and power, at the expense of others, not of the message of the gospel he claims,” the description of the Facebook group states. “He is unfit to lead any institution, but particularly one that professes a moral, ethical, or religious mission.”
