CLEVELAND (OH)
Episcopal News Service [New York, NY]
September 5, 2025
By ENS Staff
The Very Rev. Bernard J. Owens, dean of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Cleveland, Ohio, on Sept. 4 issued a statement saying the cathedral’s communications manager, Brett Boardwine, has been placed on administrative leave after he was charged with attempted sexual conduct with a minor, and “importuning,” the legal term for soliciting a minor.
“Our highest priority is the safety of those in our care,” Owens said in his statement, which was sent to Episcopalians in the Diocese of Ohio via email. “While we currently have no reason to think anyone in the Trinity Cathedral community has been harmed, I have placed Brett on immediate administrative leave.”
FOX8 News in Cleveland reported that Boardwine, 31, was arrested on Aug. 12 for allegedly attempting to solicit sex with someone he thought was a 15-year-old boy after an online chat exchange on a social media platform. That person was, in fact, an undercover officer for the Streetsboro Police Department, who was posing as a teenager.
The arrest was made when Boardwine went to an agreed-upon location for a meeting.
Streetsboro, population 17,260, is a town in Portage County about 32 miles southeast of Cleveland. The news report noted that based on an investigation by Streetsboro police, a Portage County grand jury also charged Boardwine with possession of criminal tools – in this case, the cellphone he used.
In his statement, Owens encouraged anyone with additional information related to Boardwine’s arrest to contact local law enforcement or child protective services.
Owens said he and the Rev. Adrienne Koch, Trinity’s canon for mission and transformation, both are available to provide pastoral support to the congregation and community.
“We recognize that news like this is unsettling,” Owens said. “It may stir up painful memories for some.”
In the same email, Ohio Bishop Anne B. Jolly released her own statement expressing support for Owens and cathedral staff. She also called for prayers:
“I ask you to pray for all impacted by this situation, especially for Brett and his family, the people of Trinity Cathedral and the Diocese of Ohio, and for all those harmed by sexual abuse and exploitation,” Jolly said.
FOX8’s report said that Boardwine had been employed by the Streetsboro City School District as a technology manager and that he had passed a pre-hire background check.
Boardwine and his husband were married last October, according to a wedding-planning website.