Falwell: Democrats club needs a new sponsor

The suspended Liberty University College Democrats club must find a new sponsor if it wants to regain official recognition from the college, LU Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr. said Friday.

Falwell said the university decided that club sponsor Maria Childress can no longer work directly with students after learning that she had been convicted last month of several

misdemeanor charges. Therefore, he said, she could not sponsor the club if it regains official status.

On May 20, Childress was found guilty in Lynchburg General District Court of misdemeanor assault, disorderly conduct and trespassing.

“I don’t think we could have her serving as an adviser and working with them (students) on a day-to-day basis,” Falwell said. “I think it would raise concerns with parents if people with violent criminal convictions in the last year were working with students. So I don’t think we could do that.”

Childress said Friday she feels that the school was using the misdemeanors as an excuse to remove her as club sponsor.

“This is a direct attack to my character, not having anything to do with the club,” she said. “It’s a tactic for them to do whatever they wish.”

She said the charges stemmed from a domestic dispute with her ex-father-in-law over visitation with her daughter.

“They had witnesses, I did not,” she said. “… It is what it is.”

Childress received a 60-day sentence, with all but four days suspended. Childress said she was required to serve two days in jail, which she completed last weekend.

When asked whether the charges would affect her competence to work with students, she responded, “Absolutely not, in no shape or form. That’s ludicrous for that to even be asked.”

As of Friday, the school had not yet determined whether Childress will retain her position as secretary of the honors program, Falwell said.

“She can probably just continue to work at Liberty as a secretary, as long as she doesn’t have direct contact with students,” he said.

Brian Diaz, president of the club, said he hopes to discuss options with the college and keep Childress as the sponsor. He said later Friday night he was resigning as club president and transferring from the school.

“If we have the option to keep her as an adviser, we would take that within a heartbeat,” he said. “And if we can’t have her back, the least that we would ask for is that a Democrat would be the sponsor.”

Last month, LU withdrew its recognition of the club because it supported the Democratic Party’s pro-choice and pro-gay marriage rights platform and candidates.

A dispute largely on what was or wasn’t said regarding the suspension followed, and Falwell said that Childress must apologize for two statements in order to remain sponsor if the club is reinstated.

Earlier this week, Childress issued “a form of an apology,” which Falwell said did not go far enough.

“Even if she did apologize at this point, after all this has come out, I don’t think we could let her assume a role with the students,” he said Friday. “They (club members) are going to have to find a new sponsor, either way, if they’re going to be endorsed by the university.”

Diaz said the school previously had suggested that the club remove Childress as sponsor.

“As a club, we voted no; that we wanted to keep her,” he said. “Because we know what kind of work she’s done.”

“… It has been sad, this whole situation. It’s just really disappointed me.”

He said the club hopes to continue working with the administration and reach a resolution so members can shift focus to events they’re planning for the school year, such as a pro-life week.

“We really just want to get done with this whole thing that’s happening,” he said.