Richard Thornburg: At BU, a resigned silence: Chapel head's offense 'minor,' but secret

While Boston University officials yesterday remained mum about the ''inappropriate conduct'' that led to the resignation of Marsh Chapel Dean Robert Thornburg, one source close to the respected reverend said the incident was ''minor'' and did not involve any illegal activity.

''It's not a crime,'' the source said. ''It's nowhere near the kind of suppositions that are going through people's minds. There is no huge smoking gun here.''

Thornburg, a 73-year-old theologian and United Methodist reverend, initially said he was leaving his post at the university because of increasing health problems but has since admitted to engaging in inappropriate conduct. He called the situation ''ugly'' in a Herald interview Friday.

The source said the allegation involves ''two or three'' other people, but it was unknown if the others are students.

Church officials said they received a complaint against Thornburg but would not reveal the nature of the allegations. BU officials, citing the school's privacy policy, also refuse to reveal the reasons for his departure last month.

''We need to protect the privacy of anyone who made a complaint,'' BU spokesman Kevin Carleton said. ''Any elaboration could serve to narrow the list of people who may have made a complaint.''

Carleton said the incident has not been referred to any law enforcement agencies for investigation and that the university has come to a ''conclusion'' on the matter. Thornburg is on a leave of absence and will retire at the end of the school year as planned, Carleton said.
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Thornburg was in the Berkshires yesterday and could not be reached for comment, but his wife said the couple have received an outpouring of support from colleagues and students past and present.

''We've received hundreds of phone calls. He's a tremendous man,'' his wife said.

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