(ZENIT News / Newark, 02.13.2025).- A new independent investigation has been ordered into whether Monsignor Joseph R. Reilly, the current president of Seton Hall University, appropriately handled past allegations against former cardinal Theodore McCarrick. The inquiry, commissioned by Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin of Newark, will be led by the global law firm Ropes & Gray LLP.
Monsignor Reilly, a Seton Hall graduate, has had a long-standing leadership role at the university. He previously served as rector of St. Andrew’s Hall Seminary starting in 2002 and later as rector and dean of the Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology from 2012 to 2022. His connection to these institutions has now placed him at the center of renewed scrutiny regarding Seton Hall’s past handling of allegations against McCarrick.
McCarrick, who was Archbishop of Newark from 1986 to 2000, was laicized after numerous accusations of sexual misconduct surfaced, including allegations that he harassed seminarians. In 2020, the Vatican released a comprehensive 461-page report detailing how Church officials responded to concerns about the once-powerful cleric over the decades.
This is not the first investigation into McCarrick’s actions at Seton Hall. In 2018, the university commissioned an independent review, led by law firms Gibbons PC and Latham & Watkins, following credible accusations that McCarrick had sexually harassed seminarians between 1986 and 2000. The findings, published in August 2019, concluded that McCarrick fostered a climate of fear and intimidation to serve his personal objectives. While the report confirmed inappropriate behavior, it stated that no evidence was found of McCarrick engaging in sexual misconduct with minors or other university students.
Despite these prior investigations, Cardinal Tobin acknowledged in his February 10 statement that concerns have been raised about Monsignor Reilly’s role in these matters. He emphasized that the new review would determine whether all relevant findings were appropriately communicated to university officials and the Archdiocese, as well as whether Monsignor Reilly acted properly in his leadership capacities.
Cardinal Tobin, who serves as chair of both Seton Hall’s Board of Regents and its Board of Trustees, assured that the investigation would be conducted without restrictions on scope or timeline. He emphasized the importance of transparency, stating that a full review of the facts would best serve all parties involved.
The latest inquiry adds to a period of turbulence for Seton Hall, which has faced multiple leadership challenges in recent years. Monsignor Reilly took office as university president in 2024, following the departure of interim president Katia Passerini, who had stepped in after the abrupt exit of former president Joseph Nyre. Nyre and his wife later filed a lawsuit against the university, alleging harassment and intimidation by a former board chair.
While Seton Hall has consistently maintained that it complies fully with Title IX regulations, the revelations of past failures to report incidents of harassment within its seminaries have continued to fuel questions about institutional accountability. With Ropes & Gray now leading a new investigation, the university and the Archdiocese of Newark may once again find themselves under intense scrutiny as they seek to address lingering doubts over their past handling of the McCarrick scandal.
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