Statement from Abbot Jonathan Licari and Fr. Michael Tidd

We are pleased and grateful that the jury in the punitive damages phase of this trial unanimously found that St. Mary’s Abbey and Delbarton School are not liable for punitive damages. The jury’s verdict in this phase of the trial is consistent with what they found earlier in the compensatory portion of the trial: St. Mary’s Abbey and Delbarton School did not know of the abuse found by the jury, and there was no intentional misconduct nor malice towards the plaintiff by the Abbey or School.

We thank Judge Sceusi and the jury for their hard work over the past seven weeks.

The communities of St. Mary’s Abbey and Delbarton School have genuine compassion for any victim of abuse. At all times, we wish to promote healing and reconciliation for anyone who has suffered in this way.

The incident at issue in this trial occurred fifty years ago, when modern safeguards did not exist at secular or religious schools or other youth-serving institutions.

Today, to protect the well-being of the students in our care, we create and maintain a safe environment through policies and procedures that are regularly reviewed and affirmed by Praesidium, the leading independent accrediting firm in the field of abuse prevention. Delbarton is one of only seven secondary schools in the United States to earn Praesidium accreditation and was recently reaccredited in September 2025.

Delbarton continues to attract a record number of applications from academically strong young men and enjoys a high level of alumni and parent engagement. We are confident that all members of the Delbarton community are offered an opportunity to excel in a safe and supportive environment.

You can learn more about the details of our policies and procedures to protect our students, staff, and guests by clicking these links to the St. Mary’s Abbey and Delbarton School Safe Environment sites.