Seton Hall University Ordered to Release Clergy Abuse Report
Seton Hall University has been instructed to publish a significant 20,000-page internal report on clergy sexual abuse occurring at Catholic schools, a document that has remained concealed from survivors for years.
The report implicates Seton Hall’s current president, Monsignor Joseph Riley, suggesting he did not adequately investigate reports of sexual abuse involving students at the New Jersey institution. This situation possibly breaches federal Title IX funding regulations, as first disclosed by Politico.
Essex County Judge Avion Benjamin determined that the 2019 report, created by the law firm Latham & Watkins, is not protected by attorney-client privilege. He has given the university a 30-day timeframe to make the report available.
Benjamin emphasized, “There is a legitimate need for evidence. The evidence is important and relevant.”
Despite multiple requests for its release, Seton Hall had previously resisted disclosing the report.
Survivors celebrated the court decision on Monday.
Mark Crawford, director of the New Jersey Survivors Network of People Abused by Priests, stated, “For too long, survivors and the public have been denied access to truth, accountability, and information essential to healing. The university and archdiocese’s attempts to suppress this report were inexcusable, and Judge Benjamin made them so.”
Lawyers representing 450 plaintiffs in a sexual abuse lawsuit against Seton Hall and the Archdiocese of Newark claimed they were unaware of Riley and 11 other individuals linked to the report until Politico’s coverage last December.
The investigation into sexual abuse at Seton Hall was initiated in 2018, following allegations against former Newark Archbishop Theodore McCarrick, who had reportedly abused seminarians for decades.
McCarrick, expelled from the priesthood in 2019, faced accusations from at least ten victims, including shocking claims of operating a sexual abuse ring.
The university mentioned a summary of the report but kept other critical details, like Riley’s alleged Title IX violations, undisclosed. This situation bore similarities to issues that led to the downfall of former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno.
Last spring, Judge Benjamin ruled that Seton Hall violated discovery orders by withholding documents related to the abuse allegations.
According to Politico, the school’s board, which includes several high-profile individuals, voted to appoint Mr. Riley as president despite awareness of prior recommendations against his leadership.
In 2023, Cardinal Joseph Tobin and the board selected Riley to succeed Joseph Nair, who was dismissed following efforts to reform the school.
Crawford expressed that Seton Hall University and the Archdiocese of Newark cannot continue operating under the status quo while vital deficiencies in their systems remain obscured. Survivors demand transparency, not delays or dismissals.
In recent news, a victim from nearby Delbarton School was awarded $5 million in a jury verdict, marking another significant moment for survivors of clergy sexual abuse in New Jersey. Seton Hall, the Archdiocese of Newark, and their lawyers did not respond to requests for comments on the matter.
