u/AlwaysStellar

I've been exploring Liberty, especially their online program, since the price was reasonable, but the more I look into it, the more overwhelmed I feel. Could someone please help me understand if I'm missing some important context? Right now, it just seems a bit concerning.

So first, Liberty got hit with a $14 million fine from the Department of Education back in 2024. Not a small fine, THE biggest one ever handed to a school for this. It was for Clery Act violations; basically, the report said they buried thousands of campus crime reports, including sexual assaults, for years. Like actively discouraged students from reporting. That's not a rumor; that's the federal government's own investigation.

Then I found out the founder's grandson, Trey Falwell, is literally suing his own family's university right now (2026) for $1.75 million because he says they owe him money from his contract after they fired him in 2021. So even the Falwells are suing the Falwell school. Make it make sense.

And then there's the case that's actually in court right now — a woman named Ellenor Zinski worked in IT there, came out as trans in 2023, and got fired for it. She sued; it's currently sitting in front of a federal appeals court, and both sides are saying it's probably headed to the Supreme Court. Liberty's whole defense is "we're allowed to fire people who don't match our religious beliefs," which, like, okay, I get the religious freedom argument, but if I'm queer or trans and thinking about going here, that's a pretty clear answer to "will I be safe."

On top of that, they still have mandatory chapel/convocation twice a week (miss it without an excuse and you get fined $25-50), and their old president literally said something onstage about Muslims after San Bernardino that got called out by the state governor. So if you're not an evangelical Christian, or not straight, it sounds like you're tolerated at best.

But then... academically people seem fine with it? Nobody's complaining about the actual classes. The online platform gets normal reviews, not glowing, not terrible. They've got 150+ clubs, a real D1 sports program, and they fund an actual NASCAR driver. So it's not like the school itself is falling apart or a joke academically.

I guess my question is — with all of this actively happening, not old history, actively in courtrooms right now in 2026 — is Liberty University still something you'd recommend to someone? Or is the degree just not worth what you'd potentially have to put up with to get it?

I've been reading about how unmanned/unstaffed shops are a normal part of daily life in some countries, and it got me thinking about whether something similar could ever work here in Kenya.

In Japan, unmanned stores are common — some convenience stores now run with AI cameras and self-checkout kiosks instead of cashiers, and honesty-based farm stands (where you drop coins in a box for vegetables) have existed in rural areas for decades. Japan's low crime rate and strong culture of public honesty make this possible; people simply don't take what isn't theirs, even when no one's watching.

South Korea has "unmanned cafes" and snack shops, especially near universities — you grab what you want and pay through a self-service kiosk or an app. Same story: low theft rates and heavy CCTV coverage make it viable.

In parts of Scandinavia (Sweden, for example), there are unmanned grocery stores in small rural towns where the population is too small to justify a full-time cashier. Customers unlock the door with an app and scan their own items.

The common thread: low crime rates, high social trust, and usually some tech (cameras, apps, or digital payment tracking) as a backup deterrent.

So my question is — could this ever work in Nairobi?

Would an unmanned kiosk or shop survive here, even with CCTV and mobile money payments? Is it purely a crime-rate issue, or is it more about trust, infrastructure, and payment habits? I'd love to hear from people who think this could actually work (maybe in a gated estate or a low-traffic area) versus those who think it's wishful thinking in the current environment.

Are things really fine at Liberty University?

Could unmanned shops work in Kenya?