Title IX policies on sexual abuse were reportedly violated by Seton Hall president, sources say
In a 2019 letter to Joseph Reilly, a school disciplinary task force presented the findings and recommendations of their investigation, indicating that he should no longer hold a leadership role.
TroibNews 
Seton Hall University’s newly appointed president was informed in writing over five years ago of a violation of federal Title IX policies related to sexual abuse reporting, which raised concerns about his continuation in leadership roles.
Internal documents released for the first time by PMG reveal that a special task force established by the university provided findings and recommendations against Monsignor Joseph Reilly in 2019. At that time, Reilly was a senior seminary leader and member of various university boards. While he was not accused of sexual abuse, investigators concluded he failed to properly report sexual misconduct allegations dating back to 2012.
Reilly recognized these findings in November 2019 and quickly resigned from a university hiring committee. Nonetheless, he continued to lead a seminary that trains priests, despite recommendations for him to resign from that position as well.
Five years later, Seton Hall’s governing board elevated him to the presidency of one of the nation’s top Catholic universities.
Following PMG’s initial report implicating Reilly in the investigation, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has urged the university to release the report. Two state lawmakers—both Democrats—along with abuse advocates, have called for his resignation.
The university has not acted on these appeals and has reiterated support for Reilly, asserting that “recent news stories have falsely and unfairly portrayed him.” The institution previously stated it would not disclose the report to honor “the privacy and confidentiality promised to all individuals who participated in the review.”
Neither Reilly nor Seton Hall’s representatives responded to inquiries about the claims of being “falsely and unfairly” portrayed. There were also no comments regarding the reasons for the university overlooking recommendations from its legal advisors conducting the review.
The correspondence from the task force reveals further details about the institution's handling of one of its most prominent figures in light of a sexual abuse scandal that gained nationwide attention, prompting a separate Vatican investigation. The documents supplement Seton Hall’s public summary, indicating that its policies “were not always followed” and that this led to incidents of sexual harassment going unreported.
In 2018, the university retained two law firms to assess the “influence and actions” of former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the archbishop of Newark before becoming the archbishop of Washington, D.C. Seton Hall operates under the Newark archdiocese, whose current archbishop, Cardinal Joseph Tobin, also serves as president of the university’s Board of Regents and chair of the Board of Trustees.
The investigation into McCarrick followed decades of allegations of sexual abuse against him involving both children and seminarians, leading to him being stripped of his ministry.
The investigators returned to the school’s Board of Regents in 2019 with findings concerning about a dozen priests on campus, including Reilly. The board subsequently adopted a Responsive Action Plan, developed by outside legal counsel, to address the behaviors of those involved.
The action plan stipulated that any employee or board member who was aware of sexual misconduct and failed to report it or act according to university policy “cannot continue as a Board member or serve in any SHU leadership position.” It further stated that those who knew of McCarrick’s misconduct and did not take appropriate action also cannot hold leadership roles.
Reilly had served as McCarrick’s priest-secretary for one year in 1994. The investigation spanned McCarrick’s tenure as archbishop of Newark from 1986 to 2000. During his time as McCarrick’s secretary, Reilly reportedly took precautions while visiting the archbishop's beach house, ensuring he stayed in a separate downstairs bedroom after hearing rumors of McCarrick sharing a bed with seminarians. He also made certain seminarians did not visit the beach house unaccompanied.
Reilly would later lead both St. Andrew’s Hall and Immaculate Conception Seminary on campus.
In 2012, when serving as rector and dean of Immaculate Conception, Reilly explored a student complaint of sexual assault internally and did not adhere to university or federal Title IX protocols. The memo indicated that he dismissed a seminarian, alleged victim of sexual abuse, without conducting an investigation or escalating the issue, violating university policy.
In a November 2019 letter to Reilly, task force chair Joseph P. LaSala noted that investigators also found Reilly had avoided answering questions about “certain sexual harassment” he was aware of at St. Andrew’s Hall.
“As a result, the Responsive Action Plan recommends that the Archbishop of Newark remove you from your position as rector of ICS,” the letter stated. “The Responsive Action Plan also recommends that you be removed from your position on the [Board of Trustees] and the Board of Overseers.”
In January 2020, Reilly submitted to an “unrestricted interview” with the investigators, sharing his knowledge of 2014 allegations at St. Andrew’s Hall. In a follow-up letter dated February 2020, LaSala reiterated that investigators had determined Reilly was aware of the 2012 allegations and had not reported them appropriately. He reiterated the Responsive Action Plan’s recommendations for Reilly to be removed from positions of leadership.
“We hope you appreciate the University’s need to implement fully the Responsive Action Plan,” he communicated, “which is designed to ensure that all members of the Seton Hall community abide by the University’s Policy Against Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation and that the University faithfully adhere to its Guidelines for Responding to Complaints of Sexual Misconduct, Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation.”
In a university-wide email last week, Board of Regents Chair Hank D’Alessandro stated that the board had “reviewed the findings, and with the University, approved the implementation of personnel changes and improvements to the Seminary.” He declared that the board “enthusiastically supported Monsignor Reilly.”
In a follow-up, he affirmed that support, stating, “The Board has stood by and continues to stand by Monsignor and trusts his proven record of effective leadership. He is a faithful servant and the right person to lead Seton Hall.”
Rohan Mehta contributed to this report for TROIB News
Internal documents released for the first time by PMG reveal that a special task force established by the university provided findings and recommendations against Monsignor Joseph Reilly in 2019. At that time, Reilly was a senior seminary leader and member of various university boards. While he was not accused of sexual abuse, investigators concluded he failed to properly report sexual misconduct allegations dating back to 2012.
Reilly recognized these findings in November 2019 and quickly resigned from a university hiring committee. Nonetheless, he continued to lead a seminary that trains priests, despite recommendations for him to resign from that position as well.
Five years later, Seton Hall’s governing board elevated him to the presidency of one of the nation’s top Catholic universities.
Following PMG’s initial report implicating Reilly in the investigation, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has urged the university to release the report. Two state lawmakers—both Democrats—along with abuse advocates, have called for his resignation.
The university has not acted on these appeals and has reiterated support for Reilly, asserting that “recent news stories have falsely and unfairly portrayed him.” The institution previously stated it would not disclose the report to honor “the privacy and confidentiality promised to all individuals who participated in the review.”
Neither Reilly nor Seton Hall’s representatives responded to inquiries about the claims of being “falsely and unfairly” portrayed. There were also no comments regarding the reasons for the university overlooking recommendations from its legal advisors conducting the review.
The correspondence from the task force reveals further details about the institution's handling of one of its most prominent figures in light of a sexual abuse scandal that gained nationwide attention, prompting a separate Vatican investigation. The documents supplement Seton Hall’s public summary, indicating that its policies “were not always followed” and that this led to incidents of sexual harassment going unreported.
In 2018, the university retained two law firms to assess the “influence and actions” of former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the archbishop of Newark before becoming the archbishop of Washington, D.C. Seton Hall operates under the Newark archdiocese, whose current archbishop, Cardinal Joseph Tobin, also serves as president of the university’s Board of Regents and chair of the Board of Trustees.
The investigation into McCarrick followed decades of allegations of sexual abuse against him involving both children and seminarians, leading to him being stripped of his ministry.
The investigators returned to the school’s Board of Regents in 2019 with findings concerning about a dozen priests on campus, including Reilly. The board subsequently adopted a Responsive Action Plan, developed by outside legal counsel, to address the behaviors of those involved.
The action plan stipulated that any employee or board member who was aware of sexual misconduct and failed to report it or act according to university policy “cannot continue as a Board member or serve in any SHU leadership position.” It further stated that those who knew of McCarrick’s misconduct and did not take appropriate action also cannot hold leadership roles.
Reilly had served as McCarrick’s priest-secretary for one year in 1994. The investigation spanned McCarrick’s tenure as archbishop of Newark from 1986 to 2000. During his time as McCarrick’s secretary, Reilly reportedly took precautions while visiting the archbishop's beach house, ensuring he stayed in a separate downstairs bedroom after hearing rumors of McCarrick sharing a bed with seminarians. He also made certain seminarians did not visit the beach house unaccompanied.
Reilly would later lead both St. Andrew’s Hall and Immaculate Conception Seminary on campus.
In 2012, when serving as rector and dean of Immaculate Conception, Reilly explored a student complaint of sexual assault internally and did not adhere to university or federal Title IX protocols. The memo indicated that he dismissed a seminarian, alleged victim of sexual abuse, without conducting an investigation or escalating the issue, violating university policy.
In a November 2019 letter to Reilly, task force chair Joseph P. LaSala noted that investigators also found Reilly had avoided answering questions about “certain sexual harassment” he was aware of at St. Andrew’s Hall.
“As a result, the Responsive Action Plan recommends that the Archbishop of Newark remove you from your position as rector of ICS,” the letter stated. “The Responsive Action Plan also recommends that you be removed from your position on the [Board of Trustees] and the Board of Overseers.”
In January 2020, Reilly submitted to an “unrestricted interview” with the investigators, sharing his knowledge of 2014 allegations at St. Andrew’s Hall. In a follow-up letter dated February 2020, LaSala reiterated that investigators had determined Reilly was aware of the 2012 allegations and had not reported them appropriately. He reiterated the Responsive Action Plan’s recommendations for Reilly to be removed from positions of leadership.
“We hope you appreciate the University’s need to implement fully the Responsive Action Plan,” he communicated, “which is designed to ensure that all members of the Seton Hall community abide by the University’s Policy Against Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation and that the University faithfully adhere to its Guidelines for Responding to Complaints of Sexual Misconduct, Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation.”
In a university-wide email last week, Board of Regents Chair Hank D’Alessandro stated that the board had “reviewed the findings, and with the University, approved the implementation of personnel changes and improvements to the Seminary.” He declared that the board “enthusiastically supported Monsignor Reilly.”
In a follow-up, he affirmed that support, stating, “The Board has stood by and continues to stand by Monsignor and trusts his proven record of effective leadership. He is a faithful servant and the right person to lead Seton Hall.”
Rohan Mehta contributed to this report for TROIB News
