When Seton Hall was searching for its 22nd president in 2024, the search prospectus stated that the ideal candidate should “promote and model a leadership and management style that prioritizes stability, transparency, visibility, and collaboration.” However, some are questioning whether transparency has been a priority for the university and the man its Board of Regents selected for the presidency, Msgr. Joseph Reilly.
It has been nearly two months since Politico reported that a confidential internal investigation commissioned by SHU implicated Msgr. Reilly of having prior knowledge of sexual abuse allegations against defrocked Cardinal Theodore McCarrick within the university’s Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology (ICS) and the College Seminary at St. Andrew’s Hall, the latter of which is the undergraduate seminary of the Archdiocese of Newark and a part of SHU. McCarrick was the archbishop of Newark from 1986 to 2000.
Msgr. Reilly himself was not accused of abuse in the Politico article. However, it alleged that he knew about claims of abuse at SHU and seemed to be aware of the rumors surrounding McCarrick since his earliest days as a priest. In 1994, Msgr. Reilly spent the year as priest secretary to McCarrick, according to the university’s investigators.
A 2020 Vatican report revealed the allegations against McCarrick fell into four categories, two of which said that McCarrick was known to share a bed with young adult men in the bishop’s residence in Metuchen and Newark and with adult seminarians at a beach house on the Jersey shore.
According to Politico, Msgr. Reilly had allegedly once been to McCarrick’s beach house, but he stayed in a downstairs bedroom because he had heard rumors that McCarrick was sharing a bed with seminarians. He also made sure that the seminarians didn’t visit the beach house alone, the article said.
On Feb. 1, another Politico article reproduced two letters Msgr. Reilly was allegedly sent in November 2019 and February 2020 from the Special Task Force of the Board of Regents, which was recommending changes in response to the confidential report on McCarrick’s actions as they related to SHU. According to the letters, the report, conducted by the law firm of Latham & Watkins, found that Msgr. Reilly was “aware of sexual harassment allegations involving ICS seminarians and did not report such allegations to SHU officials, in violation of the university’s Title IX policies.” Both letters recommended that Msgr. Reilly be removed from his leadership positions at the university.
Despite this alleged recommendation, Msgr. Reilly remained rector/dean of ICS and was promoted to Vice Provost for Academics and Catholic Identity in 2022. Then, in April 2024, he was named SHU’s 22nd president.
University officials declined to comment when asked about the letters from the Special Task Force. They told Inside Higher Ed on Feb. 10 that the 2019 letter Politico published was “inaccurate” and that Msgr. Reilly never received the 2020 letter. They claimed that although he did not report a 2012 allegation of inappropriate behavior by a seminarian to the university’s Title IX office, he “dismissed the offending seminarian from the seminary soon after the complaint” and reported the incident “within the Archdiocesan process.”
The Latham report also “included allegations against about a dozen other university priests,” who knew about sexual abuse cases but did not report them, according to the initial Politico article. It is unclear if the priests were reassigned or prohibited from managerial positions at SHU. University officials declined to comment when asked by The Setonian.
Inside Higher Ed, according to its Feb. 10 article, has repeatedly asked to see the Latham report that allegedly clears Msgr. Reilly—even a redacted version, or excerpts—but SHU has declined those requests.
State lawmakers and advocacy groups have also pressured the university to release the full Latham report, and some have urged Msgr. Reilly to resign.
Shaun Dougherty, head of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), questioned the message Msgr. Reilly’s appointment as president sends to the SHU community in an NJ.com editorial.
“What does it say to the parents and to the student body itself that the school where they are paying to receive a high-quality education is willing to put a president in office that is known to the school to have already been willing to turn his head when it comes to sexual assault?” Dougherty said.
Democratic Representative Mikie Sherrill, whose district includes South Orange, told Politico in January that SHU must address the situation immediately and can start by “releasing the findings” of the investigation and “recommendations related to Monsignor Reilly.”
“I simply have no tolerance for the normalization of sexual assault or support for those who cover up acts of predators. I have college-aged kids; this reporting is deeply disturbing to me,” said Sherrill, who is also running for governor.
A spokesperson for Governor Phil Murphy told Politico in the same article that Gov. Murphy is “deeply concerned” by the allegations and believes that SHU “must release the full report.”
According to a Jan. 23 Inside Higher Ed article, SHU receives approximately $2.5 million in state funding for certain programs. Democratic state senator Andrew Zwicker, who is the chair of the Senate Oversight Committee and vice chair of the higher education committee, said in the article that he would consider the state cutting those funds as an option “if the university doesn’t respond transparently to concerns that Reilly ignored sexual abuse.”
“That is a lever that we must absolutely consider to keep the pressure on,” Zwicker said in the article.
However, the university has continued to resist calls to release the Latham report, citing privacy concerns, and has steadfastly supported Msgr. Reilly.
The first statement to the university community came on Jan. 23, with Board of Regents chair Hank D’Alessandro saying that the board “enthusiastically” supported Msgr. Reilly in holding leadership positions after the Board of Regents “reviewed the findings, and with the University, approved the implementation of personnel changes and improvements to the Seminary.”
Although one event with Msgr. Reilly was postponed—he was scheduled to participate in an Agape Latte student-faculty coffeehouse on Jan. 23, the day D’Alessandro’s statement was released—it has since been rescheduled for Feb. 20. And the president has remained highly visible.
A month after the allegations arose from Politico, Msgr. Reilly was placed on the cover of the Winter 2024-2025 issue of Seton Hall Magazine. He also gave a speech at SHU’s undergraduate open house on Feb. 16.
Several SHU administrators and staff expressed their strong support for Msgr. Reilly in comments to The Setonian. Fr. Nicholas Sertich, director of Campus Ministry, praised Msgr. Reilly’s “exceptionally strong faith in Jesus Christ.”
“His commitment to serving the people of God speaks for itself,” Fr. Sertich said. “I have seen firsthand how his presence is deepening the devotion of our students from every background. I could not imagine a more worthy leader for Seton Hall.”
Dr. Monica Burnette, vice president of student services, said she is grateful for Msgr. Reilly’s leadership, praising his understanding of “caring for all students” based on his experiences as a SHU alum and administrator and “his faith in God.”
“I look forward to continuing to work with him to achieve even greater levels of student support,” she said.
Amy Newcombe, executive vice president for Board Affairs and University Strategy, worked with Msgr. Reilly in the provost’s office before he became president, and she currently serves as his liaison to the Board of Regents. She said the board has “great confidence” in Msgr. Reilly’s vision for the university, adding that his first months as university president “have been exciting and inspirational.”
“I’ve been continually impressed by the deep level of understanding and critical thinking he brings to board issues and discussions,” Newcombe said. “He connects with everyone because he truly values each individual as a person as well as valuing the gifts they bring to Seton Hall’s leadership.”
Similarly, Lisa Metz, executive director of presidential affairs, said she finds Msgr. Reilly’s leadership and commitment to the university “truly inspiring” and that he has her “full confidence and unwavering support.”
“[Msgr. Reilly] is a man of God who embodies integrity, honesty, and intelligence in his decisions,” Metz said. “I have seen firsthand his genuine concern for all members of our university community and beyond.”
However, D’Alessandro’s Jan. 23 statement left some members of the university community with more questions than answers.
Dr. Nathaniel Knight, chair of the Faculty Senate and professor of history, said the statement was “helpful” since “finally there was something that came up from the university.” But he also said the “negative information about the university going around in the press” was a “distraction.”
“It’s frustrating for us because we’re educators, you know, we’re dedicated to what we do,” Dr. Knight said. “We want to give the best possible education to our students.”
He added that the Faculty Senate “has requested more information from the administration and has proposed a way that information might be shared without compromising confidentiality.”
On Jan. 24, the Faculty Senate voted with one abstention to approve a motion asking the Board of Regents to provide the Faculty Senate Executive Committee “access to the Latham & Watkins report and recommendations on sexual harassment at SHU’s seminaries by Feb. 7, 2025, along with all other relevant documentation relative to the Board’s response.
“Specifically, the University has not responded to repeated calls for the release of the 2019 investigation conducted by the law firm Latham & Watkins into the actions of former archbishop McCarrick and their impact on the University,” the motion said. “The absence of information has created an impression of culpability and fostered the proliferation of apparently incorrect and misleading allegations and narratives.”
The Faculty Senate concluded with an assurance that they would accept certain information being withheld.
“We understand that redactions to protect the identity of individuals as required by law may be necessary,” the motion said. “We hope that the release of timely and accurate information will assuage concerns that have been raised and allow the faculty to maintain confidence in the leadership of the University.”
This Faculty Senate motion passed before Politico’s publication of the letters addressed to Msgr. Reilly. That development, Dr. Knight said, “heightens all the more the need for the administration to provide a clear and thorough explanation backed up by documentary evidence.”
Kai Hansen, a senior chemistry, philosophy, and business administration major and president of the Student Government Association, said he was “disappointed” in the university statement because he found it to be “inadequate” in terms of what was addressed about the allegations. He is permitted to speak on behalf of the association per the SGA constitution.
“I think they left out important details. I don’t think they addressed everything,” Hansen said. “It did not read like a communication to the university community, it read like a communication to a politician.”
He added that he hopes that future communications to the university community are “written for the university community.”
Although he believes the allegations against Msgr. Reilly to be false, Hansen said that if they were to be true, he has faith that there are people on the board and the executive cabinet who would step in.
“There are people that received the report that if he did in fact do these things that Politico is alleging, that they would not stand for it,” Hansen said. “I have full confidence that that is the case.”
However, some sources have contested certain details of the university’s statements about Msgr. Reilly. Hank D’Alessandro and other university officials have told Politico that the Board of Regents “unanimously” selected Msgr. Reilly as president. However, an active alum and donor with knowledge of the situation, who requested anonymity to discuss confidential matters, told The Setonian that the vote was not unanimous (unanimity is not required by the university by-laws; an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the membership is sufficient).
University officials declined to comment when The Setonian asked about this allegation.
This alum expressed disapproval with how the university has responded to the scandal thus far. Although he acknowledged that most people believe Msgr. Reilly is “a good man and a good priest,” he said, “I don’t think the Board of Regents can keep doubling down on this same position and expect this negative attention to go away.”
Other SHU alumni are disgruntled as well.
John Hynes, an alum and former adjunct professor, said he is “ashamed” of Msgr. Reilly’s appointment as university president. “His appointment is a slap in the face to all abuse victims, especially those victimized by the Catholic Church,” Hynes said.
Hynes, who is a current partner and executive creative director for an advertising agency called Korn Hynes, added that his friends and colleagues, who are also SHU alumni, “share my disgust” at the current controversy.
“As a communications professional and branding expert I can say with confidence that his appointment has tarnished the Seton Hall brand and undermined the credibility and reputation of the University,” Hynes said. “Monsignor Reilly should resign before any further damage is done.”
Hynes also said that whenever he would share his thoughts on SHU’s Facebook posts, his comments would be deleted. University officials declined to comment when The Setonian asked about their policy on filtering Facebook comments.
In response to the continuing pressure, the Archbishop of Newark, Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, announced on Feb. 10 that he has enlisted the law firm Ropes & Gray to conduct a “comprehensive third-party review of the facts” regarding the 2019 Latham report.
“Questions have been raised about whether Monsignor Reilly acted appropriately,” Cardinal Tobin’s statement acknowledged.
Cardinal Tobin said he has not placed a timetable nor restrictions on the review because “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 review will have the “full cooperation” of the Board of Regents and SHU, the statement said.
It remains to be seen whether Cardinal Tobin’s new third-party review will satisfy those demanding greater transparency from the university. It certainly isn’t enough for SNAP, which called the investigation “unnecessary” in a press release issued on Feb. 13.
“Why would we need an investigation of the original investigation? Why would anyone believe this isn’t a cover up of the cover up?” said Mark Crawford, New Jersey SNAP leader. “Cardinal Tobin simply needs to release the original report to the public. Who would trust a report on the report?”
Just four months ago, Cardinal Tobin presided over the mass at Msgr. Reilly’s investiture. He concluded the ceremony by speaking on behalf of the Board of Trustees. The university by-laws state that both the president of the Board of Regents and the chair of the Board of Trustees “shall always be the Most Reverend Archbishop of Newark.”
“If you’ll permit me, Joe, I have no doubt that you’re the right person at the right time for Seton Hall,” Cardinal Tobin said.
Following Cardinal Tobin’s announcement of the new review into the Latham report and Msgr. Reilly’s conduct, Zwicker and state senator Joseph Vitale, the latter of whom leads the state’s health committees, issued a new statement reaffirming their desire for the existing report’s “release and immediate decisive action.”
“Survivors and the Seton Hall community deserve answers and action now, not in an indefinite future determined behind closed doors,” they said. “Accountability delayed is accountability denied.”
Rachel Suazo is the Editor-in-Chief of The Setonian. She can be reached at rachel.suazo@student.shu.edu.
Jacqueline Litowinsky is the head editor for The Setonian’s News section. She can be reached at jacqueline.litowinsky@student.shu.edu.
Dominique Mercadante is the head editor for The Setonian’s Campus Life section. She can be reached at dominique.mercadante@student.shu.edu.
