Father Donal Fox
Diocese of Paterson
Ordained: 1966
Removed: Unknown
Assigned as follows:
- 1967-1969: Unknown
- 1970-1979: St. Mary’s Abbey (Morristown, NJ)
- 1980: Sacred Heart (Rockaway, NJ)
- 1981-1987: Unknown
- 1988: St. Mary’s Abbey (Clifton, NJ)
- 1989-1997: St. Elizabeth (Linden, NJ)
- 1989-2018: St. Mary’s Abbey (Morristown, NJ)
- 1998-1999: Notre Dame of Mt. Carmel (Cedar Knolls, NJ )
- 2000-2005: St. Elizabeth (Linden, NJ)
- 2006: St. Elizabeth of Hungary (Linden, NJ)
- 2007-2019: Unknown
Summary of Abuse Allegations against Father Donal Fox:
According to media reports, in 2015 Fr. Donal Fox, a Benedictine priest, was named in five lawsuits filed against the Delbarton School, a private prep school located in Morris Township, New Jersey. The suit was filed by the school’s alumni, who said they were sexually abused by monks and a headmaster between 1972 and 1984. St. Mary’s Abbey and The Order of St. Benedict are also named as defendants in each case. According to St. Mary’s Abbey, the complaints were “not new”.
In 2012 the plaintiffs’ attorney filed one lawsuit including all claimants in a multi-plaintiff complaint. It was dismissed. The separate lawsuits for each claimant contain the same claims in the 2012 suit. No criminal charges were filed in these cases due to the statute of limitations.
In June 2018, a settlement was reached.
According to media reports, in 2020, a new lawsuit was filed under the New Jersey Child Sexual Abuse Act. The school attempted to dismiss this case that was filed under the NJ Child Sexual Abuse Act, arguing the new law is unconstitutional because it removed statutes of limitation, but a state Superior Court Judge rejected the argument.
Fox died in 1987.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Diocese of Paterson. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in Paterson, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Diocese of Paterson now have legal options to recover damages due to a compensation fund created for victims. Call us at 888-283-9922 or send an email to [email protected] to discuss your options today.