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Pro-Trump University to Comply with COVID Orders
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam has issued a "full force" stay-at-home order through June 10 as part of his state's efforts to fight the coronavirus.
It includes an order that all "institutions of higher education" must immediately stop all in-person classes and any gathering of 10 people or more.
Students who meet for online remote classes are asked to practice social distancing.
Many colleges and universities around the country and in Virginia haven't waited for a governor to tell them to take precautions to stop the coronavirus from spreading. Spring breaks have been extended indefinitely and students were told to empty their rooms and go home
School started by Jerry Farwell
There are no outdoor classes on sunny days or relaxing on the quad this year. But one Virginia college has until this week resisted recommendations to suspend classes and send students home – Liberty University in Lynchburg.
Liberty with its 46,000 students was founded in 1971 by the late televangelist Jerry Falwell, the controversial far-right fundamentalist Christian activist best known as the head of the Moral Majority.
His son, Jerry Falwell, Jr., leads the university.
Falwell is an outspoken supporter of President Trump and has played down the dangers of the coronavirus. He has called it a North Korean bioweapon, accused people of overreacting to damage Trump, and has dismissed the virus as just a flu.
Falwell came under fierce criticism and enormous pressure from the governor, the city of Lynchburg, and even some students and their parents when he encouraged them return to the campus last week and resume classes.
Since then, at least one Liberty student who lives off campus has tested positive for coronavirus.
Falwell accused The New York Times of publishing a "false and misleading" report that says according to the school's student health director, 12 Liberty students became ill since returning from spring break.
School 'very disappointed' with coverage
In a statement, Liberty says it is "very disappointed about the way The New York Times chose to handle its reporting about this story. Such media conduct contributes to the public's record low approval ratings for news media and earns the label 'fake news.'"
After more than a week of confusing and conflicting statements from Falwell, including exactly how many students actually returned to the campus, Liberty now says it will comply with all state government orders and guidance about dealing with the coronavirus.
It had earlier said that some classes, including those dealing with medicine and aviation, could only be taught in a laboratory, not online.
But students who showed up to those labs Monday found them locked.
"Our messages did change throughout the week as the governor's orders changed," Falwell said, according to the NYT. "We had to adapt."
March 31, 2020 at 10:49AM
