The Jesuit priest who officiated the inaugural Mass of then-President-elect Joe Biden – and has been a family friend for nearly 15 years – is being investigated for unspecified allegations and is now on leave as president of Santa Clara University in California, according to the university.
According to a statement from John Sobrato, chairman of the university’s board of trustees, the Rev. Kevin O’Brien allegedly “exhibited behaviors in adult settings, which consisted primarily of conversations, which may be inconsistent with Jesuit protocols and boundaries.”
Sobrato’s statement did not specify the charges against O’Brien, but said the administrators “support those who came forward to share their accounts.”
He said as long as O’Brien is on leave, the priest will cooperate with the independent investigation, with findings to be shared with the Santa Clara University Board of Trustees.
In January, O’Brien served in St. Matthew the Apostle’s Cathedral for Biden, who is the nation’s second Catholic president, as well as Vice President Kamala Harris before the inauguration ceremony at the U.S. Capitol.
He also chaired the services for Biden’s investitures 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 his 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, a spokeswoman for the Jesuit Western Province, which oversees the investigation, told The Mercury News that “Jesuits have a code of professional conduct and the province is investigating allegations that may violate or compromise established boundaries.”
The representative did not delve into the investigation.
“As with any organization, the Western Jesuit Province has confidentiality practices, so I cannot provide any additional information on this matter,” Primrose said.
Alumni of Santa Clara University and board members expressed their shock Thursday.
“I’m not sure what’s going on; I’m really surprised,” said Norman Kline, a member of the university’s Board of Fellows, a fundraising group and former mayor of Saratoga, Mercury News reports.
O’Brien, he told the newspaper, liked it a lot and impressed the community when he embarked on a “listening tour” after its inauguration.
“It’s fantastic,” Kline added. “I think everyone liked it.”
O’Brien, a Canadian national, became a U.S. citizen in 1988 at the age of 22 and that year earned a bachelor’s degree in government from Georgetown University, followed by a law degree from the University of Florida.
But after exploring a law career, he accepted a job as a professor at Cardinal Newman Catholic Institute in West Palm Beach, Florida.
He joined the Jesuit Order in 1996 and was ordained in 2006.
Located in Silicon Valley, the University of Santa Clara has an annual undergraduate enrollment of about 5,500 students.
Ranked as one of the top 25 college schools nationwide, the private university has a multimillion-dollar endowment and has California governments. Gavin Newsom and Jerry Brown among his alumni.
With publishing cables