Cardinal Tobin announces new review to probe Seton Hall president’s knowledge of abuse allegations

Cardinal Joseph Tobin, archbishop of Newark, New Jersey. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/ACI Prensa

CNA Staff, Feb 12, 2025 / 10:45 am (CNA).

Cardinal Joseph Tobin of Newark this week announced an independent review to reexamine previous reports related to the actions of Monsignor Joseph Reilly, who was recently appointed president of Seton Hall University despite being accused in a previous investigation of mishandling sex abuse allegations.  

In a Feb. 10 statement, Tobin announced an independent review by the law firm Ropes & Gray into internal reports to determine if Reilly acted appropriately when he was informed of abuse allegations, and if information was properly communicated to authorities — including to Tobin himself.

Seton Hall in August of 2018 launched an independent review of accusations, first detailed in a CNA report, of sexual abuse and harassment against seminarians at Immaculate Conception Seminary and Saint Andrew’s College Seminary, both part of Seton Hall. Reilly was rector and dean of the seminary from 2012 until 2022.

A 2019 summary of the investigation results, released by the university, reported that the university’s reporting policies “were not always followed at Immaculate Conception Seminary and St. Andrew’s Seminary, which resulted in incidents of sexual harassment going unreported to the University.” The summary report did not name Reilly by name.

A December 2024 investigative piece by Politico NJ, however, reported that despite the full investigation report concluding that Reilly knew of at least three sexual abuse allegations during his time as rector of Immaculate Conception Seminary and failed to report them, the university’s board of regents unanimously appointed Reilly as president in April of 2024 and Tobin publicly expressed confidence in Reilly’s leadership.

Reilly’s appointment occurred despite a special university task force committee, formed to carry out disciplinary actions, citing Reilly for failure to report abusive conduct and in 2020 recommending his removal from Seton Hall boards and leadership, Politico reported.

Reilly subsequently stepped down as dean of the seminary to take a yearlong sabbatical but returned to the university in 2023 as vice provost for academics and Catholic identity. In 2024, he was unanimously appointed as the university’s new president. 

Acknowledging disgraced former Newark archbishop Theodore McCarrick’s “inexcusable actions and shameful behavior” and the need to heal the wounds from the past, Tobin—who as archbishop serves as president of Seton Hall’s board of regents and chair of the board of trustees—said “questions have been raised” recently about previous independent review reports concerning Reilly, who is not himself accused of abuse. 

Tobin continued that the new investigation will examine “how the findings of these reports relate to Monsignor Joseph Reilly, including whether they were communicated to any and all appropriate personnel at the Archdiocese and Seton Hall University and Monsignor Reilly, and if so, by what means and by whom.”

“I have not placed a timetable on this review by Ropes & Gray, nor have I restricted the firm from exploring any relevant facts or avenue of investigation. A transparent review of the facts will best serve the interests of all involved and of those who have voiced a call for it,” the cardinal concluded.