Brennan Settlement Openly Discussed in 2002

As they had several times before, Fr. Rembert and the graduate discussed a range of topics. When the topic turned to sexual misconduct, the two eventually discussed misconduct by Fr. Timothy Brennan (who had been in the news recently). Fr. Rembert allegedly shared with the graduate at lunch that the abbey had settled the lawsuit against Fr. Timothy for “over XXXXXXXXX.”

 

 

Statement from Delbarton Graduate

On June 30, 2004, a Delbarton School graduate wrote a letter to Abbot Thomas Confroy. The former student wrote:

If I am wrong, why is Fr. Timothy Brennan still a priest? (Please thank your lawyer, Ed Broderick, for telling me how he (Fr. Timothy) sodomized a former student in addition to his other poorly publicized tale of another abuse of a student in the 1980’s).

The graduate was referring to a ninety-minute conversation that he had with attorney Ed Broderick. The conversation reportedly took place at Broderick’s Morristown law office in July of 2002.

Earlier that day and prior to his spur-of-the-moment meeting with Broderick, the graduate met at The Office Beer Bar and Grill in Morristown for lunch with Fr. Rembert Reilly, a monk from Saint Mary’s Abbey.

As they had several times before, Fr. Rembert and the graduate discussed a range of topics. When the topic turned to sexual misconduct, the two eventually discussed misconduct by Fr. Timothy Brennan (who had been in the news recently). Fr. Rembert allegedly shared with the graduate at lunch that the abbey had settled the lawsuit against Fr. Timothy for “over XXXXXXXXX.”

Fr. Rembert had previously told the graduate that the Brennan victim had moved to XXXXXXXXX.

Weeks before, the graduate had learned other details regarding Fr. Timothy’s misconduct from Delbarton School employee XXXXXXXXX.

After his lunch with Fr. Rembert, the graduate walked across the street to Ed Broderick’s law office. The graduate and Broderick already knew each other — the graduate attended Delbarton School at the same time as one of Broderick’s children – but had never met at Broderick’s office.

After the graduate reportedly asked Broderick’s secretary if he was available, Broderick reportedly welcomed the graduate into his second floor office and made him feel very comfortable. “He treated me like he was an uncle,” the graduate remembers.

The graduate confided in Broderick concerns he had regarding several of the monks at Saint Mary’s Abbey.

When the graduate shared information regarding an incident he had experienced with one of the monks, Broderick reportedly claimed to already have knowledge of the matter. If fact, Broderick reportedly referred to the matter as “the XXXXXXXXX Case.”

The two also discussed the Fr. Timothy Brennan matter that was in the news. Broderick reportedly told the graduate that the abbey had settled with the victim, a Delbarton School student who was molested. Broderick reportedly said that the abbey didn’t take his advice, which was to “not pay anything,” because the abbey had, “no obligation to pay anyone anything.”

Broderick reportedly also told the graduate that another victim of misconduct by Timothy Brennan had come forward. According to the graduate, Broderick “too casually” said that Fr. Timothy, ”sodomized another boy” — and that the public didn’t even know about it.

“That’s between us,” the graduate remembers Broderick saying with a forced wink.

Per signed statement and conversation
June 1, 2012

[Note: Originally Posted June 1, 2012. Updated June 30, 2012]

[Photo of Rev. Father Timothy Brennan, Delbarton School/Saint Mary’s Abbey Monk]