The Archdiocese of New York has reached an $800 million settlement — yaani $80 crore in Indian counting — with approximately 1,300 people who brought sexual abuse claims against clergy members and lay workers. Attorneys announced on Saturday that every claimant had accepted the settlement plan, and Archbishop Ronald Hicks separately confirmed the agreement in an email to priests.
Source: Reuters via Yoopya News
The deal is not final yet. Hicks cautioned that it will not become final until the parties sign it in early November, with some reports placing the signing in the week of November 6, and survivors' lawyers said further work remains before any money can be distributed.
Source: CathoNews / New York Times reporting
Under the reported terms, each claimant would have the option of a lump-sum payment of at least $250,000, or a potentially larger payment after an individual review of their claim, according to plaintiffs' attorneys cited by The New York Times. The agreement also includes disclosure provisions and preserves the chance to pursue additional compensation from insurers, Reuters reported.
Source: Reuters via Yoopya News
'The unanimous agreement of survivors who filed claims against the Archdiocese of New York marks a powerful moment in the pursuit of justice,' said attorney Jeff Anderson, whose firm represents many of the claimants. Hicks wrote: 'We are on the verge of being able to, please God, bring some measure of healing and reconciliation to all victim-survivors.'
Source: CathoNews
The settlement follows more than seven years of litigation under New York's Child Victims Act, which allowed survivors to bring claims that had previously been barred by time limits, and 10 months of intensive negotiations after a framework was reached in May. Negotiators said a negotiated deal was pursued to avoid a potential Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing by the archdiocese.
Source: Reuters via Yoopya News
The Associated Press described the agreement as the second-largest involving a U.S. Catholic archdiocese, behind the Archdiocese of Los Angeles's $880 million settlement announced in 2024. The New York archdiocese covers Manhattan, the Bronx, Staten Island and seven counties north of New York City, and serves about 2.5 million Catholics, according to AP. No victim is named in this report.