Archdiocese of New York nears $800 million settlement with about 1,300 people who say they were abused

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York is close to finalizing a settlement of more than $800 million with about 1,300 people who say they were sexually abused by its clergy members, lay leaders and teachers, the archdiocese and lawyers for the alleged victims said Saturday. The New York Times first reported the deal.

In a letter to priests on Saturday afternoon, Archbishop Ronald A. Hicks said the agreement is set to be signed the first week of November, Gothamist reported. "We are on the verge of being able to, please God, bring some measure of healing and reconciliation to all victim-survivors," Hicks wrote, adding that the deal would let the archdiocese turn its attention back to its mission.

The deal is not final until every party signs. On Friday night, archdiocese spokesman Joseph Zwilling told the Times, "We are not quite there yet," even as plaintiffs' lawyers told their clients that all of the survivors had agreed to the revised terms.

What survivors would get

• Quick pay or review: each plaintiff can take a lump sum of at least $250,000 now or have the claim reviewed for a potentially larger payout later, said Jeff Herman, whose firm represents about 260 of the plaintiffs, according to Gothamist. The Guardian, citing attorney Paul Mones, described the second route as filling out a form for an allocation process.
• Holdouts: a small group of plaintiffs who resisted the deal would split a separate $20 million pot that the archdiocese negotiated with one of its insurers, the Times reported.
• Disclosure: the archdiocese would have to publish on its website, and keep updated, the names of clergy members and lay leaders credibly accused of abuse, the Times reported. Herman told Gothamist it will also eventually have to release internal files about accused priests, but did not give details.

Why it matters

The archdiocese covers Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island plus parts of the Hudson Valley, with more than 300 parishes. The claims followed New York's Child Victims Act of 2019, which opened a window for survivors to sue over decades-old abuse, The Guardian noted. The archdiocese first offered the $800 million package, including the $250,000 quick-pay option, in April, and warned it could otherwise file for bankruptcy, the New York Post reported. Plaintiffs' lawyers told clients a bankruptcy would likely mean smaller payouts and years more of litigation, according to the Times. The dioceses of Albany, Rockville Centre and Rochester have filed for bankruptcy protection over abuse claims, the Post noted.

"Credit needs to be given to the courage of the survivors," said Jeff Anderson, whose firm represents about 250 of the plaintiffs, according to Gothamist. Mones, whose firm represents 33 plaintiffs, told The Guardian that many survivors are in their 60s, 70s and 80s and that the deal "gives closure to people."

Elsewhere, the Archdiocese of San Francisco agreed in June to pay $395 million to more than 530 claimants, and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles settled for more than $1 billion in 2024, the Times reported.