This week marks a historic moment in New Jersey legal history. On September 2, 2025, the Morris County Superior Court in Morristown opened the state’s first civil trial involving clergy sexual abuse claims against a Catholic Church entity.
The case, T.M. v. Order of St. Benedict of New Jersey, could set significant precedents for institutional abuse litigation within the state and influence strategies nationwide.
Case Overview: T.M. v. Order of St. Benedict of New Jersey
This lawsuit is the first of nearly 40 pending cases tied to Delbarton School, an elite Catholic preparatory school, and its affiliated St. Mary’s Abbey.
Key Allegations:
- Plaintiff “T.M.” alleges sexual abuse by Rev. Richard Lott in 1975 when he was 15 years old
- Abuse allegedly occurred in a barn on the Delbarton campus where Lott lived
- Court filings allege school officials destroyed a written complaint to protect the institution’s reputation
Institutional Scale of Allegations
- Over 30 additional victims have come forward with similar claims
- At least eight prior civil cases were settled confidentially, with no admission of liability
- A separate 1987 criminal case involved Timothy Brennan, a Benedictine monk, who pleaded guilty to aggravated sexual contact with a minor
Legal Context: Expanded Suitability Through the Child Victims Act
New Jersey’s 2019 Child Victims Act extended the statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse claims. Previously time-barred cases, including T.M.’s, can now move forward in court.
This trial unfolds against a broader backdrop of accountability:
- An $87.5M settlement by the Diocese of Camden in 2022
- Over 180 priests credibly accused statewide
- Ongoing grand jury investigations into clergy abuse and institutional cover-ups
Pre-Trial Developments
Defense attorneys sought to delay the trial, claiming media coverage tainted the jury pool. On August 28, 2025, Judge Frank DeAngelis denied the motion, allowing the case to proceed.
Strategic Implications for Attorneys
This case could shape institutional abuse litigation in several ways:
- Discovery Standards: Courts may establish new rules for handling decades-old records
- Institutional Liability: Establishing liability based on suppression of complaints and cover-ups
- Damages Frameworks: Potential influence on how damages are calculated in historic abuse claims
- Viability of Claims: Demonstrates how legislative reform can reopen previously time-barred cases
Blue Sky Legal Perspective
For attorneys engaged in institutional abuse litigation, this trial marks a pivotal moment. It signals courts’ growing willingness to revisit decades-old claims and sets the stage for evolving liability theories and damages strategies.
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