‘Credibility’ at stake as landmark Delbarton clergy sex abuse trial goes to jury
MORRISTOWN — Seven years after the lawsuit was first filed, and five weeks after the trial began, the verdict in a landmark civil case accusing an ex-Delbarton School monk of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old student is now in the hands of a jury.
A Message from the Abbot and Headmaster
Dear Delbarton Community, When we last wrote to you on August 15, a lawsuit against St. Mary’s Abbey and Delbarton School was about to be tried in Morris County Superior Court. The suit was filed in 2017 and deals with an alleged incident of sexual abuse in January 1976 that involved a former monk who […]
Late Delbarton leader said he kept mum on abuse to protect victim, school’s reputation
MORRISTOWN — The former spiritual head of the Delbarton School told lawyers investigating the elite prep school that he destroyed a letter accusing a teacher of sexual assault to protect the privacy of the alleged victim.
Delbarton abuse ‘follows me around like a dark cloud,’ alleged victim testifies at trial
MORRISTOWN — Nearly half a century after he says he was sexually assaulted at age 15 by a monk at the Delbarton School, a former student at the all-boys prep school testified on Sept. 22 that the trauma from that night “follows me around like a dark cloud.”
Fifty years later, Delbarton Grad Testifies
The alleged victim took the witness stand Thursday in Morristown and, in stark detail, described being sexually abused nearly 50 years ago by a monk in a barn at the Delbarton School.
Ex-Delbarton teacher in sex abuse trial says he wasn’t on campus during alleged assault
The priest at the center of a half-century old sexual abuse accusation against the Delbarton School took the stand in Morristown on Wednesday and insisted he was not even on campus on the day of the alleged assault.
Delbarton School sex abuse trial begins
This week marks a historic moment in New Jersey, with the first civil sex abuse case against the Catholic Church in the state to go to trial. At issue is a string of accusations against the Delbarton School, a prominent Catholic college-preparatory school in Morristown.
Former Delbarton School leader, Catholic bishop seeking to replace Archbishop faces scrutiny over sexual abuse scandal
The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) is calling for transparency about the actions of Auxiliary Bishop Elias R. Lorenzo, a potential successor to Archbishop of Newark Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, while he was a leader at Delbarton School.
Sex abuse lawsuit against elite Delbarton…
“After the initial lawsuits in 2018, more than 30 more people have come forward with allegations of sexual abuse against the school’s monks and have either filed their own lawsuits or joined existing cases.” – Greg Gianforcaro
Delbarton Responds to August 15 New York Post Article
On August 15, the New York Post shared an article on the New Jersey State Attorney General’s investigation of abuse in Catholic dioceses and institutions in New Jersey that prominently mentioned Delbarton School and a well-respected, longtime member of the St. Mary’s Abbey monastic community Bishop Elias Lorenzo, O.S.B.
Decades of disturbing clergy abuse at elite NJ Catholic school set to be exposed…
“Bishop Lorenzo’s rise cannot erase the pain experienced by Delbarton survivors,” said Mark Crawford, SNAP’s New Jersey coordinator. “It is unacceptable that someone who held authority during decades when so many students were being preyed upon should now be considered for further promotion.
April, 2013 Letter Regarding Jonathan Licari
[Note: Original post is here: Link] Fr. Licari’s dismissal from the board was due to an alleged incident of sexual misconduct. My recollection, from conversations with you and others, was that Fr. Licari was accused of making inappropriate contact with a minor while he served as pastor at Holy Name Parish in Medina, Minnesota. It […]
6 sex abuse suits filed
[NorthJersey.com] Attorneys filed six lawsuits Tuesday against St. Mary’s Abbey and the order that runs the Delbarton School in Morris Township — the first of more than 20 such complaints they plan to file.
Prestigious N.J. Catholic school hit with more lawsuits
Six lawsuits alleging former employees at a prestigious Morris County Catholic school sexually abused minors were filed Tuesday and more than a dozen additional lawsuits will be added in the coming weeks, an attorney representing the victims said.
A Message to the St. Mary’s Abbey and Delbarton School Community
[July 6, 2020] Last November, we wrote to you to share information about the enactment of changes to the civil statute of limitations for victims of sexual abuse. On December 1, 2019, a new state law increased the civil statute of limitations from two years to seven years from the time a victim learns of […]
Why would a Catholic school seek to deny justice for victims of sexual abuse?
So one must ask, why last month a New Jersey Catholic institution of Benedictine Monks, who operate the Delbarton School and have acknowledged an appalling amount of sexual abuse committed by their clerics against young students, took action in Morris County Superior Court to deny EVERY sexual abuse victim in New Jersey, anyone abused as […]
N.J.’s new child sexual abuse law survives challenge from Catholic school, former monk
Judge Peter A. Bogaard disagreed on both counts, making him the first judge in New Jersey to rule on both the constitutionality as well as the retroactive intent of the law. In addition to clearing the way for those filing suits now, the decision also means plaintiffs who filed before the new law are less […]
Judge denies Delbarton School’s request to find new sex abuse law unconstitutional
A judge has denied a challenge to a law that loosened restrictions on civil sex abuse complaints — allowing a lawsuit to continue against the order that runs the Delbarton School and clearing the way for dozens of similar cases against the Catholic Church and other institutions to go forward in state courts.
Father Timothy Brennan dies in Missouri
Timothy Brennan, a former Delbarton School teacher and priest who has been the subject of at least 10 sex abuse settlements, died Wednesday at a Missouri treatment center for clerics, where he had been living for years, according to authorities.
