A former associate dean of the College resigned as the president of another Jesuit university on Tuesday after accusations of sexual abuse surfaced against him.
Rev. Bernard Knoth, S.J., who served as the president of Loyola University New Orleans since 1995, is accused of sexually abusing a student in 1986 while he served as the principal of Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School in Indianapolis.
Knoth denied the allegations in a letter written to the Loyola community. “While I deny any inappropriate conduct, the provincial superior of the Chicago Province [of the Jesuit Order] has judged the complaint credible according to the U.S. Bishops’ Norms. Pursuant to those norms, the Chicago provincial superior has removed me from active ministry, necessitating my resignation from the presidency.”
During his five-year tenure at Georgetown, Knoth served as an associate dean of the College, classroom lecturer and chaplain-in-residence. Knoth left Georgetown for Loyola in 1995 to take the position of university president.
Many members of the Georgetown community who worked with Knoth agreed with the sentiments of Hugh Cloke, associate dean of the College. “I am shocked and I find it very hard to believe,” he said.
Rev. Kevin Wildes, S.J., who sits on the Board of Trustees of Loyola, called Knoth an “old friend” and characterized him as a “wonderful priest and a great Jesuit” who positively impacted many Georgetown students and alumni. “This just brings on a sea of emotions for me in part because I like and care for Bernie a great deal, ” said Wildes.
Wildes, who spoke to the other Board of Trustee members via speakerphone Tuesday, said the mood at Loyola was somber. “He forged a real relationship with people there, and he had a public presence within the city and the region,” said Wildes.
While members of Loyola’s faculty and several students would not comment on Knoth or the incident that has shaken their school, the university released a letter written by Provincial Delegate Rev. James Gschwend, S.J. “The entire Jesuit community today joins in prayer for healing, justice, and reconciliation for the accuser and the accused. We also pray for a full and complete resolution for all victims-those who have come forward and those who continue to suffer in silence,” Gschwend said.
While the accusation against Knoth became public just this week, the complaint was actually filed several months ago with the Chicago province of the Jesuit order, of which Knoth is a member. Province officials investigated the claim and deemed it credible before removing Knoth from active ministry.
Under a charter and norms adopted in the wake of a child abuse scandal that rocked the Archdiocese of Boston, priests must be removed from active ministry when a credible allegation of sexual abuse is filed against them.
While the province has released no specific details about the allegation, Chicago province Director of Public Relations George Kearney (CAS ‘99) confirmed that no other allegations have been made against Knoth.
Wildes noted that if any allegations against Knoth surface from his time at Georgetown, it will be the University’s and the Jesuit Order’s responsibility to investigate it fully.
