The president of Benedictine University has resigned, and the former CEO of the school’s Mesa campus will serve as interim president, officials say. 

The Daily Herald of Arlington Heights, Illinois, reports Michael Brophy stepped down from the position Thursday and is planning a yearlong sabbatical. A spokeswoman says Brophy’s future position with the Illinois-based university will be determined next summer. 

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The private, Catholic university is based in the Chicago suburb of Lisle and has campuses in Mesa and Springfield, Illinois.

Brophy became president in 2015. His contract was extended last year through 2022.
Trustees praised Brophy for growing enrollment and programs. But his tenure also saw a lawsuit filed by seven monks from Lisle’s St. Procopius Abbey, which founded the institution. They said the university denied their rights to interview candidates and vote for the new president.

Charles Gregory, who was recently CEO of the Mesa campus, will serve as interim president for the university. A spokeswoman in Mesa said no changes were expected there. 

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