The Archdiocese of New York has proposed a $US800 million ($1.1 billion) settlement to resolve some 1300 abuse claims involving clergy and staff brought under look-back laws in that state. Source: OSV News.
If accepted, the settlement would cap a five-year legal battle that has seen the archdiocese sell off property, while taking insurance giant Chubb to court over coverage for the claims.
In a May 1 statement, New York Archbishop Ronald Hicks said the archdiocese and the Plaintiff’s Liaison Committee, the body representing “a majority of victim-survivors,” had been “working hard for several months to reach agreement on a global settlement of all sex abuse lawsuits”.
In December, Archbishop Hicks’ predecessor, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, had announced that the archdiocese would be entering into mediation and working to raise more than $300m ($416m) for sexual abuse settlements.
That effort had included the 2024 sale of the archdiocese’s office headquarters, with the Manhattan property acquired for $100m ($138m) by Vanbarton Group, a boutique real estate investment firm.
In his message, Archbishop Hicks did not disclose the proposed settlement amount, a figure The New York Times published on April 30, citing a letter plaintiff attorneys Jeff Anderson and Trusha Goffe had emailed to their clients.
The newspaper quoted the document, a copy of which it had obtained, with Anderson and Goffe advising that each claimant would receive $US250,000 ($347,000) — and urging them to unanimously accept the offer, a condition necessary to effect the settlement.
The attorneys warned that “if there are any holdouts, the global settlement will not be consummated,” leaving open the possibility that the archdiocese and “participating parties may file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy,” The New York Times said, quoting from the letter.
Archbishop Hicks said in his message that “although much work remains to be done before a settlement can be finalised and consummated, I am cautiously optimistic about the path we are on”.
He stressed that both sides “have been working hard for several months to reach agreement on a global settlement of all sex abuse lawsuits,” seeking to “create the framework of a comprehensive arrangement that will deliver compensation to victim-survivors faster and more efficiently than the traditional legal process.”
FULL STORY
Archdiocese of New York proposes $800 million settlement for abuse claims (By Gina Christian, OSV News)
