That means Seton Hall has had two privately commissioned reports from law firms that “reach fundamentally different conclusions” about Reilly, Vitale said. The best remedy, he said, is for the state to investigate.
“Only an independent review conducted by a public entity can provide the confidence necessary to restore public trust,” Vitale wrote to Attorney General Jennifer Davenport, who earned her law degree from Seton Hall.
The Attorney General’s Office said it is reviewing Vitale’s letter “and the concerns it raises about the safety and well-being of New Jersey’s students.”
“Attorney General Davenport is committed to making every effort to ensure students can get an education and realize their potential in safe environments,” spokesperson Michael Symons said. “Among her top priorities is protecting young people from predatory behavior and exploitation.”
Seton Hall and the Newark archdiocese did not respond to messages seeking comment.
A state investigation would add another legal complication to Seton Hall. The storied Catholic university, along with the archdiocese, has spent several years in court over claims of clergy abuse going back decades. The university is also locked in a court battle with Reilly’s predecessor, Joseph Nyre, who left his position early and filed a whistleblower lawsuit, which was recently dismissed.
Ropes & Gray had been hired by Cardinal Joseph Tobin, the archbishop of Newark, last February to essentially investigate the 2019 investigation. The latest report confirmed that, as a seminary leader, Reilly did not properly report a 2012 sexual abuse allegation to the school’s Title IX office. But the report said it was an error that was “unintentional given that he had not been trained on the applicable policy.”
