Church unaware of sex allegations

St Patrick’s Cathedral – the mother church of the Auckland Catholic Diocese – was unaware its former choir director had twice resigned from roles after sex conduct allegations.

James Tibbles, a wellknown early music specialist, was the choir director and organist at St Patrick’s since 2014, but resigned his position in December “to pursue other musical opportunities”, the church said.

A mass was held to farewell Tibbles in January, as he was moving to Oxford in Canterbury.

But on Sunday it emerged that Tibbles had resigned from his position at the University of Auckland in December 2020 amid an investigation into a sexual conduct complaint from a former student.

A similar allegation also surfaced regarding his time teaching music at St Cuthbert’s College more than 20 years ago. That complainant was 16 at the time of the alleged incidents.

Auckland Catholic Diocese spokeswoman Lyndsay Freer said Tibbles was contracted as choir director and organist in 2014.

“The cathedral was not aware of any complaints that had been made about him in any previous roles or employment, and he came with excellent references and records of his musicianship and experience.

“No complaints were ever received about him during his tenure at the cathedral,” she said.

In 1998 the parents of 16-year-old St Cuthbert’s College student Sara O’Brien made a complaint of inappropriate conduct against Tibbles, her music teacher.

Tibbles was suspended and then resigned, but faced no further repercussions and went on to work at the University of Auckland.

But in December 2020, Tibbles – who by then was head of the university’s music department – resigned following similar allegations from a former university student.