Upcoming February Deadline in Fresno Diocese Bankruptcy Draws Criticism From Survivors

Photo: Saint John the Baptist Cathedral in Fresno; via Wikipedia.

A report yesterday by John Cox on Bakersfield.com says that critics are raising concerns about a fast-approaching deadline in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fresno’s bankruptcy case, warning that it will sharply restrict the ability of clergy sexual abuse survivors to pursue justice.

A legal notice published Nov. 25 in The Californian states that any survivor who does not file a claim by Feb. 2 “will be forever barred, estopped and enjoined” from bringing a lawsuit in the future. The requirement applies to survivors abused decades ago and also to more recent victims who may not yet understand or disclose what happened to them.

A victims advocate said the so-called bar date does more than silence individuals. It effectively locks away the diocese’s internal files. “That means society, not just the victims, society will not have visibility to what has happened in that diocese,” he said. “It’s just a huge loophole.”

The Diocese of Fresno filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on July 1 after facing at least 153 allegations of clergy sexual abuse under a temporary state window that reopened expired civil claims. Fresno was among at least five California dioceses that sought bankruptcy protection after the 2019 law took effect.

Critics say the filing is a strategic effort to shield the institution from full accountability. Bishop Joseph Brennan has defended the decision as a way to manage a large number of claims, ensure fair financial distribution, and prevent diocesan assets from being consumed by only the earliest cases.

A diocesan spokesperson declined to answer questions about the upcoming deadline or offer further comment.

A plaintiff’s attorney said publication of the notice was legally required in order to alert the public, including survivors who have not yet come forward. She criticized the diocese’s bankruptcy filing overall, saying it alters the institution’s liability and narrows pathways for survivors. “It limits the mechanisms in which survivors have an opportunity to come forward,” she said. “It limits the voice they have. It limits the information they are entitled to receive.” She added, “This is not a process that honors the survivors. This is not a process that gives them voice in the journey.”

The Fresno Diocese has a long-documented history of clergy abuse reports. Its own website lists more than two dozen priests with credible allegations of sexual abuse of minors while serving in the diocese, as well as additional priests from religious orders and from other dioceses who have faced similar accusations while assigned in Fresno. Several other priests on the list were credibly accused elsewhere.

Advocates note that the average survivor does not disclose childhood sexual abuse until well into adulthood, often in their fifties. Without the bankruptcy process, survivors harmed today would have many more years to recognize and report what happened. Instead, the bar date requires any claim, including from current minors once they become adults, to be filed by Feb. 2. One advocate called the bankruptcy “a strategic and cynical strategy” that “only benefits the diocese.”

Survivors wishing to file before the deadline may do so at https://www.bankruptcy.angeiongroup.com/rcbf or by calling 1-800-813-0529. Information is also available through the diocese’s Chapter 11 webpage at https://www.dioceseoffresno.org.