Liberty University president apologizes for massive snowball fight with no masks, social distancing

Liberty University president Jerry Prevo issued an apology Tuesday, after a massive snowball fight at the Lynchburg, Va. college on Sunday prompted backlash for a lack of COVID-19 protocols.

"I messed up," Prevo said in a statement. "We did not think through or communicate the need to wear facial coverings and remain 6 feet apart in compliance with Virginia Governor’s Executive Orders for the suppression of the spread of COVID-19 or even our own COVID-19 Operations Plan. And the size of the group was not in compliance either." 

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Pictures posted by the university show Prevo front and center without a mask.

"The Great LU Snowball Battle of 2021 is in the books," Prevo wrote on in a now deleted post on his Facebook page. "I loved introducing 3,000+ LU students to a taste of life in Alaska today... It was so much fun! LU students are the greatest students in the world!"

The planned event, which reportedly invited students to "meet on the Academic Lawn at 2 p.m. for a snowball fight with President Jerry Prevo," attracted hundreds of students, who all appear shoulder-to-shoulder with no masks. 

A Virginia Health Department spokesperson for the Lynchburg area told FOX News that the agency has received more than 115 complaints since Sunday about the incident. 

"As following the public health guidelines is essential to containing this pandemic, we share the complainants' concerns about the potential for COVID transmission and are consulting the VDH central office on our response," the spokesperson added.

However, some reportedly came to the university's defense, according to the Tri-City Herald.

"No irresponsible display here. Just some innocent and safe fun," one woman reportedly replied on the university's Facebook post. "Everyone is layered up from the cold, wearing gloves for the snow, and hanging with the people they already live with."

"These are healthy people outdoors in a well ventilated area. Anyone not comfortable didn’t attend," another added.

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Prevo noted that the mistake was "one of being caught up in the moment of the day," explaining that the event was planned due to the fact that the city of Lynchburg hasn't seen a "good snow in over two years." 

"I and my leadership team apologize for not leading our students to abide by COVID-19 protocols during this event," he continued. "I am truly sorry for how this activity may put our students and university in a negative light, potentially diminishing the hard work of many dedicated employees and volunteers. We rededicate ourselves to our solid commitment to communicating and reinforcing to students, faculty, and staff the mandate to comply with all COVID-19 policies, including physical distancing and the wearing of facial coverings."

Liberty University has since taken down social media posts of the event, which Prevo said could "tend to undermine a culture of compliance."

"I am firmly committed to the health and safety of our students at Liberty University, as well as their spiritual and emotional health," he added. "We hope to foster more fun and excitement for our students in the days ahead, but we will do so while abiding by our health and safety protocols."

According to the latest data on Liberty University's COVID-19 Dashboard as of Jan. 27, the college has at least 65 active COVID-19 cases, with 47 linked to students. The Virginia Department of Health reported 2,740 new cases in the state on Tuesay, bringing the statewide total to 510,380 since the pandemic began.