The Jesuit priest who at the time served the electing president of Joe Biden – and has been a family friend for almost 15 years – is being investigated for unspecified allegations and is now on leave from his position as president of Santa Clara University in California. college.
Ds. Kevin O’Brien allegedly “displayed behavior in adults, consisting primarily of conversations, that may not be consistent with established Jesuit protocols and boundaries,” according to a statement by John Sobrato, chairman of the college’s board of trustees.
Sobrato’s statement did not specify the allegations against O’Brien, but said the trustees “support those who came forward to share their accounts.”
He said that while O’Brien is on leave, the priest will cooperate with the independent investigation, with the conclusions shared with the Santa Clara Board of Trustees.
In January, O’Brien rendered the service at St. Peter’s Cathedral. Matthew the apostle to Biden, who is the country’s second Catholic president, as well as Vice President Kamala Harris ahead of the inauguration ceremony at the American Capitol.
He also chaired services for Biden’s inaugurations as vice president.
The priest – who has been president of Santa Clara University since July 2019 – has known the Biden family for about 15 years, according to the university. When he met the family, he served at Georgetown University, another Jesuit college.
O’Brien did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.
Tracey Primrose, spokeswoman for the Jesuits West Province, which oversees the investigation, told The Mercury News that “Jesuits are being held by a professional code of conduct, and the province is investigating allegations that may violate or jeopardize the established boundaries. “
The representative did not elaborate on the investigation.
“As with any organization, the Jesuits West provinces have a confidentiality practice, so I can not provide any additional information on this matter,” Primrose said.
Alumni and board members of Santa Clara University expressed shock on Thursday.
“I’m not sure what’s going on – I’m really surprised,” said Norman Kline, a member of the Board of Fellows, a fundraising group and a former mayor of Saratoga, Mercury News reported.
O’Brien, he said according to the newspaper, was very benevolent and impressed the community when he started a ‘listening tour’ after his inauguration.
“He’s great,” Kline added. “I think everyone likes him.”
Canadian-born O’Brien became a U.S. citizen in 1988 at the age of 22 and earned an undergraduate degree in government from Georgetown University that year, followed by a law degree from the University of Florida.
But after exploring a legal career, he accepted a position as a teacher at Cardinal Newman Catholic High School in West Palm Beach, Florida.
He entered the Jesuit order in 1996 and was ordained in 2006.
Santa Clara University is located in Silicon Valley and has an annual undergraduate enrollment of approximately 5,500 students.
The private university is considered one of the top 25 undergraduate schools nationwide, and has a million dollar donation and counts California government. Gavin Newsom and Jerry Brown among his alumni.
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