Fr. Thomas King, former rector of Zahm Hall from 1980-1997, sexually abused at least 15 students during his tenure at Notre Dame, according to an external investigative report released today by the University. Fr. David Porterfield, former rector of Sorin Hall from 1978-1983, was also implicated as engaging in an “extensive course of conduct of abuse at Notre Dame,” the report stated.
University President Fr. Robert Dowd and Board of Trustees chair John Veihmeyer initiated an investigation into King’s conduct in September 2025, hiring Helen Cantwell from the law firm Debevoise & Plimpton.
“This investigation has determined that in the 1990s, under the guise of concern about students’ health, Fr. King took students to the Rockne Memorial Gym (“Rockne”) to be weighed. Once in the locker room, he would direct students to undress fully before they stepped onto a scale, suggesting they needed to be naked in order to obtain an accurate reading of their weight,” a portion of the report’s summary stated. “Beyond the weighing scheme, Debevoise also found that multiple individuals, some of whom were weighed, were sexually touched or assaulted by Fr. King, both at Notre Dame and after he left.”
Complaints against King had been known to the University since at least 2018 but had not been pursued because “the University did not recognize the reported conduct to be at a minimum boundary crossing and, more seriously, grooming behavior because the weighing scheme was not properly understood as sexual and did not include touching or specific sexual assault,” the report stated.
Dowd and Veihmeyer released a joint statement via email, addressed to members of the Notre Dame community, summarizing the investigation and announcing a new policy for quickly reporting misconduct from priests and “persons in positions of trust.”
The University statement also announced the creation of a Counseling Support Program for survivors of sexual abuse or misconduct as detailed in the report. University leadership also committed to providing an annual report to the Board of Trustees detailing efforts to address and prevent sexual misconduct on campus.
“We are deeply disturbed by these findings and wish to extend our deepest apologies to the victims for what they endured. The conduct described in this report is antithetical to everything Notre Dame stands for and to the dignity and respect owed to every member of this community,” the email stated. “As a community, we must confront our deep sorrow and pain and redouble our efforts to become the Notre Dame we seek to be. We also acknowledge that our work on these efforts must be ongoing and evolving.”
Editor’s note: The Observer is continuing to follow this investigation and will publish more detailed reporting shortly.
