About This Investigation

Purpose

Sodomhall.com is an independent investigative journalism project documenting institutional failures in addressing clergy sexual abuse at Seton Hall University and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. This site examines the networks of power, protection, and complicity that enabled abuse to continue and be concealed from the public.

Our focus is on matters of significant public concern: the protection of children, institutional accountability, and the use of legal mechanisms to conceal abuse rather than address it. The 450 plaintiffs in ongoing litigation deserve a full accounting of how their abuse was enabled and concealed.

Sourcing Methodology

All factual claims on this site are derived from publicly available documents and credible news reporting. Our primary sources include:

• Vatican Report on Theodore McCarrick (November 2020) - Official Vatican investigation documenting decades of abuse and institutional knowledge
• Perry Law Report (July 2024) - Independent investigation commissioned by Seton Hall University
• Court filings and sealed documents - Materials from ongoing litigation, including the Gibbons Report and Latham Report references
• News reporting - Investigations by The New York Times, Politico, and The Setonian student newspaper
• Public records - Board minutes, task force letters, resignation letters, and official correspondence

Where documents remain sealed by court order, we cite to publicly available references and reporting about their contents. We do not fabricate sources or make claims without documentary foundation.

Legal Basis

This investigation is protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. The matters documented here are of profound public concern: institutional protection of child sexual abuse, misuse of legal processes to conceal wrongdoing, and the accountability of public figures who hold positions of trust.

Many individuals named on this site are public figures—university presidents, cardinals, board chairs, attorneys general—who have voluntarily entered the public sphere and whose conduct in their official capacities is subject to public scrutiny and criticism. Public figure status requires proof of "actual malice" (knowledge of falsity or reckless disregard for truth) for defamation claims, a standard we do not meet because our reporting is grounded in documentary evidence.

We distinguish between statements of fact (sourced to documents) and statements of opinion, analysis, and rhetorical criticism. Calling a pattern of institutional protection a "coverup" or describing legal strategies as "manipulation" constitutes protected opinion based on disclosed facts, not actionable defamation.

Editorial Standards

We strive for accuracy and fairness while maintaining an adversarial stance toward institutional power that has demonstrably failed to protect children. Our tone is deliberately provocative because the subject matter demands moral clarity, not false neutrality.

When we make factual claims, they are supported by documentary evidence cited throughout the site. When we draw inferences or offer analysis, we make clear the basis for our conclusions. We welcome corrections to factual errors and will update the site accordingly.

Disclaimer

This website is an independent project and is not affiliated with Seton Hall University, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark, or any plaintiff or defendant in ongoing litigation. The views expressed are those of the site's operators and do not represent any institutional position.

Information presented here is for informational and educational purposes. Nothing on this site constitutes legal advice, and readers should consult qualified attorneys for legal guidance related to these matters.

Submit a Tip

We protect source confidentiality and welcome tips from victims, witnesses, and individuals with knowledge of institutional misconduct. Your submission can be anonymous.