Retired general to lead Liberty University in wake of Jerry Falwell Jr. scandal, lawsuit

Liberty University has named a new leader after the rocky exit of Jerry Falwell Jr. in 2020. Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Dondi Costin, Ph.D., will serve as Liberty’s sixth president, and Jonathan Falwell, son of the late Jerry Falwell Sr., will be formally installed as the college’s third chancellor.

Costin, who served in the U.S. Air Force for 32 years and ended his tenure in the military as Air Force chief of chaplains, holds five master’s degrees — two of which he received from Liberty — and a doctorate in organizational leadership. He is leaving his position as president of Charleston Southern University in South Carolina to assume the role in Virginia

“As one whose life and ministry have been profoundly shaped by Liberty University, I can think of no educational institution with more global impact than my two-time alma mater,” he states. “I am beyond grateful to the board for entrusting me with this extraordinary opportunity.”

News of Costin’s appointment follows reports that Jerry Falwell, Jr., is suing the university. In mid-March, the former president filed suit in federal district court in Lynchburg, Va., seeking nearly $8.5 million in retirement benefits that he claims the university owes him. The lawsuit alleges the younger Falwell was owed $7.6 million in 2020, when he parted ways with Liberty in the wake of unflattering reports detailing an untoward, years-long sexual tryst involving Falwell, his wife Becki, and then-Miami-based pool attendant Giancarlo Granda. Although Falwell has acknowledged an affair took place, he has denied having any role in it.

The former university president further claims in his court filing he was supposed to be credited an additional 6 percent investment return in the years after his retirement, now totaling around $8.5 million. Liberty sued Falwell for $10 million in 2021, claiming he renegotiated the terms of his contract in bad faith, failing to disclose to university board members the details of the salacious scandal that soon would unfold.

“This claim is part of a larger dispute currently pending in state court,” Liberty said in a statement “The university will defend the new action on the same grounds it has already pled on the record in the state case. Liberty is confident it is not legally required to pay these funds and will file the appropriate responses with the federal court.”