Mark DeMoss, a member of Liberty University's board of trustees and the school's public relations officer, has resigned after the school's president publicly endorsed Donald Trump for president.
University President Jerry Falwell Jr. endorsed Trump earlier this year. The PR executive disagreed with Falwell and criticized him on The Washington Post two months ago, saying that the endorsement was a "mistake." DeMoss said that Trump does not exemplify "Christ-like behavior that Liberty has spent 40 years promoting with its students."
"It bothered me that he said Donald Trump reminded him of his father," DeMoss said in March. "Donald Trump certainly does not demonstrate Jerry Falwell Sr.'s graciousness and love for people. Jerry Falwell Sr. would never have made fun of a political opponent's face or makeup or ears. He would not have personally insulted anybody-ever."
Shortly after DeMoss' public statements, Falwell gave an interview to The Post, saying that he "was disappointed" in him. He added that his endorsement of Trump was personal and was not meant to represent the university.
"Any time you support a candidate, and you're an official at a university, you just have to accept the fact that a large percentage of the community is not going to agree with you," Falwell said. "I think our community is mature enough that they understand that all the administrators and faculty have their own personal political views."
However, according to DeMoss, he was asked to step down from one of the committees because of his previous comments, which prompted him to resign from the board of trustees as well.
"While the decision to leave the committee I chaired was not mine, the decision to step down from the board was mine," he said.
"The president/chancellor and the board chair and new executive committee chair were suggesting my motive for speaking to the Post was entirely political (that I was a political pawn of rival campaigns), rather than a genuine concern for the reputation of the university we trustees have (had) a fiduciary responsibility to protect. I concluded if they could not accept the reasons I gave them there was not sufficient trust to continue serving together."
Liberty University's version of letting DeMoss resign varied from his account. The school said that members expressed their displeasure over his comments to the The Post, but the reason he was asked to step down from the committee was not related to Falwell's personal endorsement of Trump.
"Individual board members have varied reasons for their displeasure regarding Mark DeMoss' comments to the Washington Post, most of which are not related to his disagreement with Jerry Falwell's personal endorsement of Donald Trump or a belief that Mark DeMoss' motivations were entirely political. Liberty would prefer to not inventory or detail all these reasons," Liberty University said in a statement.
"While members of the Executive Committee individually asked Mark DeMoss to resign from the Executive Committee, no vote was ever taken by the Executive Committee to ask Mark DeMoss to resign from the Executive Committee or from the Board of Trustees," the school continued. "On Thursday, April 21, he was asked by the Executive Committee to resign from the Executive Committee and encouraged by members of the Executive Committee to remain on the Board and serve on another committee."
DeMoss maintained that he did not want to cut his ties with Falwell, and that both of them had a common love for the school.
"I hope we have not 'fallen out' over this matter. I am a Liberty graduate and have been associated with the school for nearly 40 years. Despite our differences on this endorsement, Jerry and I share a love for Liberty University," DeMoss said.
DeMoss had served on university's board for 25 years and also as chief of staff to Jerry Falwell Sr., who founded the university.
DeMoss was a senior advisor to former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney's 2008 and 2012 campaigns for presidential seat, and had supported Marco Rubio this year before he ended his presidential campaign.
