Seton Hall regrets judges' honors

National Catholic Reporter, May 7, 2004 by Dennis Coday

NEWARK, N.J. -- Heavily criticized by antiabortion advocates, Seton Hall University said April 20 that as a Catholic institution it should not have conducted an awards ceremony involving two judges whose decisions have supported abortion rights. On April 16, U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Maryanne Tramp Barry received the Sandra Day O'Connor Medal of Honor, an award sponsored by three student groups at Seton Hall University School of Law. O'Connor, the first female U.S. Supreme Court justice, was there to present the award.

University spokeswoman Natalie Thigpen said: "Seton Hall's commitment to the Gospel of life is absolute" and conferring the awards was "a serious lapse." She said the university will review "all aspects of this matter and the policies involved" but did not say if the 11-year-old award in O'Connor's name will be discontinued.

In the April 21 issue of The Catholic Advocate, the Newark archdiocese's newspaper, Archbishop John J. Myers criticized Seton Hall for hosting the ceremony. Myers is president of the school's two governing boards, the 33-member board of regents and the 13-member board of trustees.