Santa Clara University President Kevin O’Brien has resigned from his role, two months after an investigation into “inappropriate behaviors” connected to alcohol use first placed him on leave.
In a letter addressed to SCU students, faculty and staff Wednesday morning, O’Brien said his decision to resign follows the March investigation by the USA West Province of the Jesuit Provincial Office. The investigation was sparked by concerns from Jesuit Provincial Scott Santarosa about behaviors observed in “certain social settings with adults that did not meet the highest standards of decorum expected of [O’Brien] as a Jesuit" over the past year.
In the end, the investigation found O’Brien "engaged in behaviors, consisting primarily of conversations, during a series of informal dinners with Jesuit graduate students that were inconsistent with established Jesuit protocols and boundaries." Alcohol was involved, but "no inappropriate behavior was found in any settings outside of these dinners," according to a letter this week from John M. Sobrato, Santa Clara University’s Board of Trustees chair.
The 54-year-old career priest, theologian and renowned author’s departure comes only two years into the job, and five months after he presided over the Mass President Joe Biden attended in Washington D.C. ahead of his inauguration.
O’Brien said he entered an outpatient or nonresidential treatment program in April, which is expected to take four to six months. The program will address personal issues, including alcohol use and stress management, according to the letter.
“After much prayer and thought and out of deep love for Santa Clara, I have concluded that the best service I can offer to our beloved university is to step aside now,” O’Brien wrote. “As I engage this personal work, I cannot leave the university waiting, amid all the challenges we face in a very competitive landscape and given the opportunities we need to seize as we pivot to a post-pandemic context.”
Now the search for O’Brien’s replacement is on.
“The Board of Trustees takes this situation very seriously and fully supports those who came forward to provide their accounts,” Sobrato said in his letter. “The Board of Trustees will immediately establish a process to conduct a search for the University’s next President.”
In the meantime, former SCU Provost and now-Acting President Lisa Kloppenberg will continue to lead the school and its education, working with the university’s cabinet, deans and other leaders.
Alluding to the actions that led him to his outpatient treatment, he praised the importance of having friends that openly raise concerns. He left Santa Clara University students with a message: “Everyone needs help at times, and it is OK to ask for help when you need it, and to allow others to care for you.”
According to a press release announcing his appointment in 2019, O’Brien joined the Society of Jesus in 1996 and was ordained to the priesthood in 2006. He earned a master’s degree in philosophy from Fordham University and a Master of Divinity and a Licentiate in Sacred Theology from the Weston Jesuit School of Theology, now part of Boston College.
“He that is without sin among you let him cast the first stone.” Jesus Christ
Meanwhile, tRump and his enablers walk unpunished.
Meanwhile the self-impeached Democrats who ran 2 illicit impeachments of a lawfully-elected President, walk unpunished.
/And so it goes with Democrats…
I graduated SCU in the 80s and I remember Jesuits who ranged from perfectly normal to loony bin crazy. One night a priest came to a big party at my house and the dude was drinkin, smokin and snortin with the best of them. I _think_ he made out with an undergrad girl but that was never proved – they were just alone in a bedroom for a while. Would be interesting to know exactly what conversation topics resulted in O’Brien getting cancelled – I’m betting it was pretty tame stuff but in 2021 there’s absolutely zero tolerance. One unapproved comment and you’re finished for good.
As an SCU professor, I can tell you that the resignation of Father O’Brien is but a small part of our problems.
The main problem with SCU is that in the last 15 years, the school has adopted a corporatist model and all but abandoned any true sense of Catholic social justice in the way it treats its employees.
The Trustees are extremely disconnected from the faculty and, with the Administration’s approval, consistently make decisions outside any model of shared governance. This was epitomized in the secret hiring of Littler Mendelson, a notorious union-busting law firm, to make sure that the lecturers on campus do not unionize. This act is completely opposed by over a century of Catholic social teaching on unionization and worker dignity.
A union has become an issue because the lecturers often lack any real job security and are not paid a living wage. Lecturers teach more than half of all campus classes and 60% of the core classes. Yet most of them are paid less than high school teachers.
In 2020, the school decided to cut retirement benefits in half and freeze any expected raises for one year to save 15-20 million dollars—even though the cost of living in the Bay Area is among the highest in the United States. At that time, the school had just under $1 billion in its endowment (a near doubling in the last ten years) and billions of dollars in assets.
Faculty morale has never been lower, with Faculty Senate Council resolutions being routinely ignored.
As an SCU professor, I can tell you that the resignation of Father O’Brien is but a small part of our problems.
The main problem with SCU is that in the last 15 years, the school has adopted a corporatist model and all but abandoned any true sense of Catholic social justice in the way it treats its employees.
The Trustees are extremely disconnected from the faculty and, with the Administration’s approval, consistently make decisions outside any model of shared governance. This was epitomized in the secret hiring of Littler Mendelson, a notorious union-busting law firm, to make sure that the lecturers on campus do not unionize. This act is completely opposed by over a century of Catholic social teaching on unionization and worker dignity.
A union has become an issue because the lecturers often lack any real job security and are not paid a living wage. Lecturers teach more than half of all campus classes and 60% of the core classes. Yet most of them are paid less than high school teachers.
In 2020, the school decided to cut retirement benefits in half and freeze any expected raises for one year to save 15-20 million dollars—even though the cost of living in the Bay Area is among the highest in the United States. At that time, the school had just under $1 billion in its endowment (a near doubling in the last ten years) and billions of dollars in assets.
Faculty morale has never been lower, with Faculty Senate Council resolutions being routinely ignored.
O’Brien is the CEO of a University that once sat amongst UOP (Stockton) which is now Bellarmine. Notre Dame (Belmont) was down there where you see San Pedro Slavery towers. This place would have been like Boston if the Mason’s hadn’t been here.
When will you start actually doing some research, and writing on what is going on here in this Valley.
O’Brien can’t go to work every day with the Devil’s dust floating around here. A Previous “President” of SC has explained this to me. Saying they basically have to suck the nuts of the Devil’s here who are paying for the school to stay open. O’Brien is owned by the donors…. he is supposed to be a man of god. There are only 6 Jesuit Universities, they are supposed to have a social advocacy and take up a cause. Like Wheeling Jesuit, in West Virginia, there cause is Mountain top Removal. O’Brien, his predecessor and followers own the cause of keeping this madness around here going. Virtual reality, aRtifical intel… he knows it’s all spiritual theft. As the homeless numbers mount, he knows he can house humans in the spare barracks, rather than pedophile priests relocated from Los Gatos. As Brian Buckley said, you can’t “corporatize religion or academics” ….do we have any names other than the “PRIEST” who is involved in this corporatism. As we know, it goes from capitalism, to corporatism, than facism….corporatism is only a transition spot, on the way to facism. If you know anything about the police department in Santa Clara, the last elected Chief in the ENTIRE state, you KNOW. If you don’t please do some research.
Wow, this is sad news. I hope the SCU community can move forward in a positive way.