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The Ticker

Breaking news from all corners of academe.

Liberty U. Alumni Protest Falwell’s Continued Support of Trump

By Fernanda Zamudio-Suarez August 21, 2017

About 50 Liberty University alumni plan to return their diplomas to protest comments made by Jerry Falwell Jr., president of the university, supporting President Trump’s response to the deadly “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Va.,

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About 50 Liberty University alumni plan to return their diplomas to protest comments made by Jerry Falwell Jr., president of the university, supporting President Trump’s response to the deadly “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Va., The New York Times reports.

During a press conference last week, President Trump said that there were some “fine people” among neo-Nazis, white nationalists, and KKK members at the rally, and suggested that there could be an equivalency between these groups and counterprotesters.

When Mr. Falwell tweeted in support of President Trump the following day, many alumni in a private Facebook group named “Return your diploma to LU” wrote that they felt Mr. Falwell’s statement was inappropriate. About 50 members in the group planned to send their diplomas back in protest of the comments, one of the group’s organizers told the Times.

On Monday, Mr. Trump also tweeted to thank Mr. Falwell for his appearance on Fox & Friends defending Mr. Trump’s administration.

We welcome your thoughts and questions about this article. Please email the editors or submit a letter for publication.
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About the Author
Fernanda Zamudio-Suarez
Fernanda is the engagement editor at The Chronicle. She is the voice behind Chronicle newsletters like the Weekly Briefing, Five Weeks to a Better Semester, and more. She also writes about what Chronicle readers are thinking. Send her an email at fernanda@chronicle.com.
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