Location: Jersey City, New Jersey
Grades: 9 through 12
Sexual abuse allegations at Saint Peter's Preparatory School span decades, and they are serious and documented. The private all-male Jesuit college preparatory school, founded in 1872 in Jersey City, New Jersey, serves roughly 900 students per year and employs 72 faculty members, including Jesuit priests.
Civil law offers a path to accountability that is entirely separate from the criminal system, and New Jersey's expanded statute of limitations means more survivors may have legal options than they realize.
For survivors who experienced abuse at Saint Peter's Prep, or at the hands of clergy connected to it, the road to justice can feel long and uncertain.
As the founder of Horowitz Law, I have personally litigated clergy abuse cases against Catholic dioceses across the country, and I understand the courage it takes to come forward and seek justice. Please know that you are not alone, and your experience matters. When you are ready, we are here to listen.
Were Students Sexually Abused at Saint Peter's Preparatory School?
Yes, multiple Jesuit priests with documented ties to Saint Peter's Preparatory School in Jersey City, New Jersey, have been credibly accused of sexually abusing students.
In January 2019, the USA Northeast Province Jesuits published a list of 50 priests accused of child sexual abuse, and nine of the 10 New Jersey-connected names on that list had ties to institutions bearing the Saint Peter's name in Jersey City.
If you or someone you love was abused at this school, legal options may still be available to you.
Key Takeaways about Allegations of Sexual Abuse at Saint Peter’s Preparatory School
- In January 2019, the USA Northeast Province Jesuits published a list of 50 priests credibly accused of child sexual abuse, and nine of the ten New Jersey-connected priests had ties to Saint Peter's institutions in Jersey City.
- Multiple priests who served at Saint Peter's Prep have admitted to abuse or had allegations found credible by church authorities.
- New Jersey's expanded statute of limitations now allows survivors of childhood sexual abuse to file civil lawsuits until age 55, or within seven years of becoming aware the abuse caused harm.
- Survivors can hold not only individual abusers accountable in civil court, but also the institutions that employed and protected them.
- Civil lawsuits are distinct from criminal cases and can provide survivors with financial resources to support their healing.
What Did the 2019 Jesuit Report Reveal About Saint Peter's Prep?
The January 2019 report from the USA Northeast Province Jesuits named priests with ties to Saint Peter's Prep as credibly accused abusers. This disclosure was part of a broader national reckoning with clergy sexual abuse.
The list identified multiple individuals who served at the school at various points across several decades, revealing a troubling pattern that extended well beyond any single perpetrator.
Several of the named priests held positions of trust and authority over young students in Jersey City. For many survivors, the publication of that list was the first public confirmation that what happened to them was real, that others had experienced it too, and that the institution had known about it.
Priests Named in Connection with Saint Peter's Prep
The following individuals were identified in the 2019 Jesuit report as having served at Saint Peter's Preparatory School or closely affiliated Saint Peter's institutions in Jersey City, and as having credible allegations of child sexual abuse made against them:
- Fr. Cornelius Carr served at Saint Peter's Prep from 1954 to 1959. A complaint filed in 2005 alleged he abused multiple minors from 1989 to 1990. He was removed from ministry and died in 2013.
- Fr. Thomas Denny served at Saint Peter's Prep from 1986 to 1992. He was accused of abusing minors in separate complaints issued in 2002 and 2012, and he was removed from ministry in 2002.
- Fr. Joseph Fitzpatrick served at Saint Peter's Prep from 1967 to 1969. He was accused of abusing minors in the 1980s, the allegations were found credible, and he was removed from ministry in 2002.
- Fr. Raymond Fullman served at Saint Peter's Prep from 1964 to 1965. In 2009, he was accused of abuse going back to 1954. He is listed as deceased as of 1987.
- Fr. James Gould served at Saint Peter's from 1969 to 1971. He was accused in 2011 of sexually abusing a minor. He admitted to the abuse and was removed from ministry in 2012.
- Fr. James Kuntz served in Jersey City from 1984 to 1988. He later pleaded guilty to child pornography charges, was sentenced to prison in 2008, and left the Jesuits in 2012.
- Fr. Eugene O'Brien served at Saint Peter's Prep School from 1959 to 1960. He was accused in 1993 of abuse of minors in the 1960s. He admitted to the abuse and was removed from ministry in 2002.
- Fr. Anthony Paone served at Saint Peter's from 1939 to 1942 and was accused in 2002 of abusing a minor in 1953. He is listed as deceased as of 1990.
The breadth of these disclosures, spanning from the 1930s to the 1990s, reflects a failure that went far beyond the actions of individual priests. Institutions that employed these men had a legal and moral responsibility to protect the students in their care.
How Could Abuse Go on for So Long at a School?
Institutional abuse persists when organizations prioritize self-protection over transparency. The pattern seen at schools like Saint Peter's Prep mirrors what advocates and legal teams have documented in the Catholic Church broadly: allegations were sometimes handled internally, reassignments occurred instead of removals, and survivors faced a culture of silence.
This dynamic is not unique to any single diocese or religious order. It is a systemic failure that courts and civil law are designed to address. When an institution knows or should have known about abuse, and takes no meaningful action to stop it, that institution can be held liable in a civil lawsuit alongside the individual abuser.
For survivors who felt they had no one to turn to, that sense of isolation was itself a product of the cover-up. It was not a reflection of what happened to you or who you are.
What Legal Options Do Saint Peter's Prep Survivors Have in New Jersey?
New Jersey significantly expanded the legal rights of sexual abuse survivors when Governor Phil Murphy signed N.J. Stat. §2A:14-2a into law in May 2019. This legislation changed the landscape for survivors of childhood sexual abuse across the state, including those with ties to private schools like Saint Peter's Prep.
Under the current law, survivors of childhood sexual abuse in New Jersey may file a civil lawsuit until age 55, or within seven years of becoming aware that the abuse caused them harm, whichever date is later. That is a substantial expansion from the prior standard, which had required survivors to act within just two years of turning 18.
Civil lawsuits in sexual abuse cases allow survivors to seek accountability from both individual abusers and the institutions that employed, supervised, and in some cases shielded them. In the context of Saint Peter's Prep, that could include the Jesuit order itself. Filing a civil claim is not about revenge. It is about securing the resources needed to address the lasting effects of trauma, including therapy, lost earnings, and other tangible harms.
Is It Too Late to File a Lawsuit for Abuse at Saint Peter's Prep?
It may not be too late, depending on your circumstances. The 2019 law change in New Jersey was specifically designed to give survivors more time, and it applies to many cases that previously seemed time-barred.
Whether you are still within the legal window depends on your age, when the abuse occurred, and when you became aware of the connection between the abuse and the harm it caused you. These questions are worth exploring with an attorney who concentrates on sexual abuse cases. Filing deadlines do apply, so waiting is not advisable if you are considering your options.
The Jesuit report, the resulting media coverage, and subsequent civil lawsuits have all helped validate what many survivors have carried privately for years. Courts have increasingly held institutions accountable for what happened inside their walls, and the legal tools available today are more powerful than they were a decade ago.
Why Is a Civil Lawsuit Different from a Criminal Case?
A civil lawsuit is brought by the survivor, not the government. You decide whether to pursue it, and the standard of proof is lower than in a criminal case. You do not need a guilty verdict, a police report, or a criminal conviction to pursue civil accountability.
In a civil case, the outcome can include monetary compensation for medical and mental health treatment, pain and suffering, lost earning capacity, and other damages. Courts can also compel institutions to produce documents, answer questions under oath, and expose what they knew and when they knew it.
For many survivors, that transparency is as meaningful as any financial recovery.
Civil litigation has been one of the most powerful tools for exposing institutional cover-ups in clergy abuse cases nationwide, and it has forced disclosures that no other mechanism could produce.
FAQs about Saint Peter's Preparatory School Sexual Abuse
The questions below address some of the most common concerns survivors and their families have when considering legal action. They do not constitute legal advice, and every situation is different.
Do I have to prove that a specific priest on the 2019 list abused me?
You do not need to match your experience to a specific name on any public list. The 2019 Jesuit report identified a number of credibly accused individuals, but it was not a complete accounting of every person who may have caused harm at the school.
Your experience is valid regardless of whether the person who abused you appears on a public list. An attorney can help you understand whether a civil claim is viable based on the facts of your specific situation.
Can I sue the school or the Jesuit order, not just the individual priest?
Yes. Civil sexual abuse law allows survivors to pursue claims against institutions and organizations when those entities knew or should have known about the abuse and failed to prevent it.
In many clergy abuse cases, claims against the organization itself are central to the lawsuit, because the institution bears responsibility for the environment that allowed abuse to occur.
What if I never reported the abuse to anyone?
A prior report is not required to pursue a civil claim. Many survivors never told anyone for years, or even decades, due to shame, fear, or lack of trust in institutions. Courts understand this. The absence of a prior report does not disqualify you from seeking legal accountability.
What does it cost to speak with a sexual abuse attorney?
Initial consultations with attorneys who handle these cases are typically free and confidential. Most sexual abuse attorneys work on a contingency basis, which means there is no fee unless they win your case. You should not have to pay money up front to explore your legal options.
I was abused a long time ago. Can I still remember enough to pursue a case?
Memory and documentation are concerns that many survivors share. An experienced attorney will work with you to assess what information is available, including church records, personnel files, and corroborating accounts from other survivors. You do not need to have a perfect memory or a complete paper trail to begin a conversation about your options.
What if I am not sure whether what happened to me counts as abuse?
If you are uncertain whether your experience qualifies legally, speaking with an attorney is the best way to find out. Sexual abuse takes many forms, and what can feel ambiguous to a survivor often has clear legal definitions. You deserve to have your experience heard and assessed by someone with knowledge of these cases.
How long does a civil sexual abuse lawsuit typically take?
Every case is different, and timelines vary depending on the complexity of the facts, the number of parties involved, and whether a case resolves through settlement or goes to trial. An attorney can give you a realistic sense of what to expect once they understand the specifics of your situation.
You Have the Right to Be Heard. We Are Ready to Listen.
Survivors of sexual abuse at Saint Peter's Preparatory School and at the hands of Jesuit clergy throughout New Jersey have been speaking out, and the legal system has responded.
At Horowitz Law, we have spent more than 25 years representing survivors of sexual abuse, including those who faced powerful institutions like the Catholic Church. Adam Horowitz has personally litigated clergy abuse cases against Catholic dioceses across the country, and our team understands the unique courage it takes to come forward.
We offer free, confidential consultations, and we never charge a fee unless we win. Whatever happened to you, we are here to listen without judgment and to fight for the accountability and resources you deserve.
Call us today at 954-641-2100 to speak with our team in complete confidence.