Liberty University president Jerry Falwell Jr. on Wednesday said that arrest warrants had been issued for reporters from The New York Times and ProPublica after both publications wrote stories criticizing his decision last month to partially reopen his Virginia-based college.
Photos of the arrest warrants for New York Times freelance photographer Julia Rendleman and ProPublica reporter Alec MacGillis, were published on the website of conservative radio host Todd Starnes. The warrant alleges each committed misdemeanor trespassing on campus while gathering information for their respective stories.
Falwell Jr.’s decision on March 24 to reopen the private evangelical Christian university campus as all other universities in the state remained closed amid the coronavirus crisis occurred came nearly two weeks after Gov. Ralph Northam (D) issued a state of emergency, prompting widespread criticism.
According to the school’s website, no cases of the virus have been confirmed on campus.