Liberty University's Jerry Falwell Jr. Gets Holy Hell As Students Fall Sick
Jerry Falwell Jr. last week partially reopened his Liberty University ― an evangelical Christian school in Lynchburg, Virginia ― despite the spread of the coronavirus.
Now, The New York Times reports that nearly a dozen students have symptoms that could suggest infection ― and Falwell is facing the wrath of both parents and critics.
One parent slammed the decision to reopen as “crazy, irresponsible and seems like a money grab.” Falwell, as the Times notes, fired back with a tweet calling that parent a “dummy.”
Falwell on Twitter said no students on campus are sick with coronavirus, and one off-campus tested positive “from local contacts in the community.” He also said the school was “embracing its responsibility to care for students instead of running away.”
Falwell has been a coronavirus conspiracy theorist, claiming an “overreaction” to the threat is really an attempt to make President Donald Trump look bad.
“Impeachment didn’t work, and the Mueller report didn’t work, and Article 25 didn’t work,” he said earlier this month on Fox News, which has consistently given voice to conspiracy theories. “And so maybe now this is their next attempt to get Trump.”
People on Twitter slammed Falwell for the opening the school and putting his students at risk ― with some suggesting that he face lawsuits or even criminal charges:
This is criminal. https://t.co/tOH3bhcw4x
— Congressman Tim Ryan (@RepTimRyan) March 30, 2020
This story almost makes me wish I was still a trial lawyer. To the hard working process servers who will soon be calling on Jerry Falwell Jr.: remember to maintain 6 feet of social distance. https://t.co/u1zPUxcjjG
— Rep. Jared Huffman (@JaredHuffman) March 29, 2020
Falwell is the wrong name- should be Falbad- because he is an irresponsible asshole. https://t.co/HrwEEsPQwZ
— Martina Navratilova (@Martina) March 30, 2020
Falwell is a monster.
— Norman Ornstein (@NormOrnstein) March 29, 2020