New York Archdiocese agrees $800 million abuse settlement
The Archdiocese of New York and attorneys for about 1,300 people who said they were sexually abused by clergy have agreed to an $800 million settlement of their legal claims, the second-largest involving a Catholic archdiocese in the United States. The agreement was announced on Saturday 24 October, after more than seven years of lawsuits.
What the deal contains
Each of the roughly 1,300 survivors will have the option of a lump-sum payment of at least $250,000, or a potentially larger payout after a review of the extent of the abuse each person suffered. The archdiocese also agreed to release documents relating to sexual offenders in the Church, and survivors will still be able to litigate against the Church's insurers for additional payouts. The deal avoids a bankruptcy by the archdiocese.
Archbishop Ronald Hicks sent an email to clergy confirming the settlement, while cautioning that it will not be final until the parties sign it, an action scheduled for the week of 6 November. He wrote that the archdiocese was "on the verge of being able to, please God, bring some measure of healing and reconciliation to all victim-survivors." Jeff Anderson, an attorney representing many of the claimants, said: "The unanimous agreement of survivors who filed claims against the Archdiocese of New York marks a powerful moment in the pursuit of justice. Through their courage, sacrifice, and determination, survivors have helped bring about a reckoning and a meaningful step toward accountability."
Scale of the settlement
The only larger US archdiocese settlement was the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, which agreed in 2024 to pay $880 million to 1,000 abuse victims in addition to $740 million it had previously paid.
