Portsmouth Abbey Abbot Abruptly Resigns

By Mark Schieldrop
Patch
May 13, 2016

http://patch.com/rhode-island/portsmouth/portsmouth-abbey-abbot-abruptly-resigns-0

PORTSMOUTH, RI—The abbot and chancellor at Portsmouth Abbey School has abruptly resigned after admitting misconduct.

Rev. Dom Caedmon Holmes’ resignation was the subject of a letter to the school community from the school’s board of regents chairman and the school’s headmaster.

Holmes’ resignation “followed his acknowledgement of personal struggles involving conduct inconsistent with our expectations and with the Benedictine ideals,” according to the letter.

School officials said they aren’t aware of the abbot’s conduct affecting any students.

The letter indicated that an independent law firm has been hired to conduct a probe. Anyone with information or concerns can call the firm, Debevoise & Plimpton at 212-909-6996.

Holmes was just recently elected to a second, eight-year term as abbot. According to a school news release on Aug. 24 of 2015 that has since been scrubbed from the school's website.

Holmes' resignation comes amid a sex abuse scandal that has rocked the community of nearby St. George's School in Middletown, an exclusive private boarding school where dozens of former students were raped and molested by several former faculty members.