600 Victims of Clergy Sexual Abuse Get $323M From Catholic Church

A four-year long legal battle between the Diocese of Rockville Centre and 600 victims of alleged clergy sexual abuse officially came to an end after the two parties agreed to a $323 million settlement.

New York Daily News reported on Wednesday, December 4, that US Bankruptcy Court Judge Martin Glenn officially signed a Diocese’s agreement to pay $323 million to the 600 victims. This marked as one of the largest payouts related to clergy abuse within the Catholic church.

Diocese leaders had originally offered a $200 million settlement, while the victims had sought $450 million.

Nearly 99 percent of the survivors who voted on the settlement expressed their support, signaling overwhelming agreement among the victims affected.

Since the commencement of bankruptcy proceedings in 2020, the Diocese said it aimed to secure financial resources to address the claims. This included selling 200 acres of land surrounding its seminary and obtaining contributions from 134 parishes.

While the specific amounts each parish will shell out were not disclosed, some pastors were said to have reported substantial contributions, such as St. Mary’s Parish committing $4.5 million.

In a statement, the Diocese said that it hoped the settlement would bring some measure of healing to survivors and allow the Church to carry on its saving mission.

“Victim survivors of child abuse deserve our respect, our prayers, and our pastoral support. The Church is grateful for their courage and perseverance,” it said.

“The Diocese’s goal has always been the equitable compensation of survivors of abuse while allowing the Church to continue her essential mission. We believe this plan has achieved those goals,” it added.

Litigation firm Slater Slater Schulman LLP—which represented 100 of the 600 survivors, described the settlement as a “watershed moment” not just for the dioceses, but also for victims of sexual abuse across the state.

“It reflects the largest diocesan settlement in New York and the largest involving any diocese under bankruptcy nationwide,” Slater noted.

Judge Glenn also expressed satisfaction with the settlement, saying he was “extremely pleased” to confirm the agreement which also allowed the diocese to maintain its operations.

After New York passed the Child Victims Act in 2019, numerous men sued the Diocese of Rockville Centre—which covered all Catholic churches on Long Island—over sexual abuse that occurred when they were boys and young men.

The Diocese was then forced to file for bankruptcy in October 2020. Five months later, it sold its headquarters for $5.2 million to help cover settlement costs. Eventually, six of New York’s eight Catholic dioceses filed for bankruptcy due to the Child Victims Act.

Both sides announced the settlement on September 26, but it was not official until Glenn signed off on Wednesday.