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Photo: Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany; via Wikipedia.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany has agreed to a multi-million-dollar settlement with a survivor of clergy sexual abuse, averting what would have been its first trial under New York’s Child Victims Act. The $8 million deal was finalized just days before jury selection and is expected to set a benchmark for hundreds of other survivors with pending claims against the diocese, Bishop Accountability reported Friday, reposting an original article from The Times Union.
The scheduled case was to expose decades of alleged cover-ups by former Bishop Howard J. Hubbard and other church officials accused of protecting priests who sexually abused children. The settlement must still be approved through the diocese’s ongoing bankruptcy proceedings. Attorneys said the agreement, reached without insurer involvement, provides a clearer picture of compensation levels that may guide future negotiations.
The lawsuit was filed under the Child Victims Act by a man who said he was repeatedly abused as a child by Rev. Edward C. Pratt, a former diocesan vice chancellor who later admitted to molesting multiple boys during his ministry. The trial was also expected to scrutinize the diocese’s long history of transferring abusive priests and concealing their misconduct.
Pratt, now 81, admitted in a 2021 deposition to sexually abusing children but claimed the plaintiff was over 16 at the time. Attorneys for the survivor dispute that claim, citing evidence that the abuse began when he was 11 while living at St. Catherine’s Center for Children in Albany. Pratt had been sent by Bishop Hubbard in 1999 to a church-run treatment facility in Canada, where doctors warned that he “still has issues with impulses to act out with youth.” He later returned to ministry under supervision until 2002, when new allegations led to his removal.
Hubbard, who died in 2023, admitted before his death that he concealed sexual abuse allegations for decades to preserve “respect for the priesthood.” He acknowledged maintaining secret files on abusive priests that were kept from parishioners and law enforcement. Court documents show he routinely reassigned priests accused of abuse to new parishes or treatment centers without notifying the public.
Attorneys for the survivor said the settlement, reached on the eve of trial, validates years of legal work to reveal the diocese’s internal records and systemic cover-ups. “This settlement, though substantial, does not erase the trauma that Michael endured,” said the co-counsel. “But it brings to light the people who allowed it and helps protect children today.”
The diocese said it does not dispute that abuse occurred and agreed to settle “out of sensitivity for the survivor and their family.” In a statement, church officials said, “If a survivor finds healing in sharing their story, it should be on their terms and not dictated via the testimony of a court process.”
The case is one of seven that a federal bankruptcy judge allowed to proceed in an effort to push stalled mediation forward. Attorneys for survivors said the $8 million settlement, the largest in the diocese’s history, establishes a vital reference point for the hundreds of victims still awaiting resolution.
Records obtained through pretrial discovery also raised questions about the so-called treatment centers used by the church, where accused priests often participated in programs described as more like “retreats” than rehabilitation. Many priests, including some later convicted of abuse, were quietly returned to ministry after brief stays.
For survivors’ attorneys, the settlement marks progress in a case that could have reshaped the national conversation around clergy accountability. “Michael’s bravery in taking his case to the brink of trial has exposed the volume of what the diocese knew about its priests using their positions to abuse children,” said another attorney. “We hope this is the beginning of meaningful justice for all survivors in Albany.”
If you are a survivor of clergy sexual abuse within the Catholic Church, you still have legal rights, even if the abuse occurred decades ago. Survivors are stepping forward to demand justice and accountability. Visit our Catholic Church Sexual Abuse Lawsuit Guide to learn how you can explore your options and take the first step toward healing and compensation.
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