Cardinal Tobin Announces Release of Report in Third-Party Review Conducted by Ropes & Gray LLP

In February 2025, Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., Archbishop of Newark, commissioned the law firm Ropes & Gray LLP to conduct a third-party review concerning Seton Hall University President Monsignor Joseph Reilly.

That review is now complete, and Ropes & Gray’s report discussing its findings has been made public and is available at https://www.ropesgray.com/en/sites/rcanreport.

Cardinal Tobin asked Ropes & Gray to examine what prior Seton Hall investigations revealed about Monsignor Reilly’s knowledge of and response to allegations of sexual misconduct involving others, and how and to whom any relevant information was conveyed.  In conducting its review, Ropes & Gray reviewed relevant documents and interviewed dozens of individuals, including members of the Board of Regents, senior University personnel, Monsignor Reilly, Cardinal Tobin, and Archdiocese officials.  The Archdiocese of Newark placed no restrictions on the review.

In response to the report, Cardinal Tobin stated:

“Ropes & Gray’s third-party review offers a clear, candid account of the facts concerning Monsignor Reilly.  I did not have any editorial input into this report and did not make any suggestions on what should or should not be included.

As the Ropes report makes clear, Monsignor Reilly was not implicated in the Latham report.  The Ropes report further notes that Monsignor Reilly responded promptly to allegations of sexual harassment involving seminarians at Immaculate Conception Seminary in 2012 but did not follow the University’s Title IX reporting requirements—requirements on which he had not yet been trained at the time.  As the report reflects, the University resolved the matter in June 2020 after Monsignor Reilly acknowledged his reporting obligations going forward, and no compliance concerns have arisen since.

Nothing in this thorough report changes my firm view that Monsignor Reilly is a good priest with formidable experience and a deep commitment to a Catholic institution serving the Church and the world.  He is highly regarded across the Seton Hall community and has my full respect and confidence.”

Under the University’s established governance structure, matters concerning the President of Seton Hall University are considered by the University’s governing boards.  As Chair of the Board of Trustees and President of the Board of Regents, Cardinal Tobin participates in that process as part of his responsibilities.  These decisions are made through the University’s governance process and are not the responsibility of any single individual.

The Cardinal concluded, “I am grateful to Ropes & Gray for its thorough and professional work, to everyone who cooperated with the review, and to those who called for it.  I pray that this process will help strengthen trust and enable the University community to move forward together.”