A priest who officiated President Biden’s inaugural Mass is under investigation for unspecified allegations and has since been placed on leave from his position as president of a California college.
Father Kevin O’Brien “exhibited behaviors in adult settings, consisting primarily of conversations, which may be inconsistent with established Jesuit protocols and boundaries,” Santa Clara University announced earlier this week. School officials did not say exactly what O’Brien, who has been a personal friend of Biden for 15 years, was alleged to have done.
The university’s press division told the Washington Examiner, “[They] take these accounts seriously while, at the same time, [they] fully respect Father O’Brien’s right to a fair and impartial investigation.”
The embattled priest will be replaced by Provost Lisa Kloppenberg as president on an interim basis, the institution continued.
TRUMP AND BIDEN SPLIT CRUCIAL CATHOLIC VOTE, PER EXIT POLLS
In January, O’Brien conducted a service at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle for the Biden family ahead of the Democrat’s inauguration. The priest also orchestrated a Mass for Biden’s induction as vice president in the Obama administration, and the two first met when O’Brien was working at Georgetown University.
“Jesuits are held to a professional code of conduct, and the Province investigates allegations that may violate or compromise established boundaries,” Tracey Primrose, spokeswoman for the Jesuits West Province, told the Mercury News.
“As with any organization,” she continued, “the Jesuits West Province has confidentiality practices, which is why I cannot provide any additional information regarding this matter.”
O’Brien was reportedly well-liked, and those in his orbit were shocked to see the investigation unfolding.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
“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 a former mayor of Saratoga, California.
“He’s terrific,” he continued. “I think everybody liked him.”
