Superior Court Judge Avion M. Benjamin has ordered Seton Hall University to provide her with an internal report on sexual abuse claims involving clergy at the school. The university was found to have violated a previous court order by not releasing certain documents related to a 2019 report on former Cardinal McCarrick and clergy abuse at Seton Hall. The report is expected to reveal a widespread cover-up of sexual abuse within the Newark Archdiocese.
Seton Hall attorneys argued that attorney-client privilege should exempt the report from being shared, but the judge has ordered an unredacted version for her review. This report is part of a broader case involving 450 plaintiffs alleging abuse within the church dating back several decades.
Despite allegations that Monsignor Joseph Reilly, the president of Seton Hall, was aware of sexual abuse claims against McCarrick and did not report them, the university has supported him. However, calls from elected leaders, including Representative Mikie Sherrill and Senators Joe Vitale and Andrew Zwicker, have urged for his resignation or removal.
The release of this report is expected to shed light on long-standing systematic issues within the church and could have far-reaching implications for the ongoing cases of alleged abuse. The judge’s decision to review the report and determine if any portions should be redacted highlights the importance of transparency and accountability in addressing the issue of clergy abuse.
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