Brooklyn, NY Diocese To Pay Hundreds Of Millions To Settle Over 1,000 Sexual Abuse Claims

Photo: St. Joseph’s Co-Cathedral by Jim Henderson; via Wikipedia.

The Brooklyn Diocese has agreed to pursue negotiations toward a global settlement designed to resolve approximately 1,100 claims brought by individuals who allege they were subjected to sexual abuse by priests and church personnel, per a report reposted on Bishop Accountability. The potential resolution is expected to require a payout totaling hundreds of millions of dollars, representing one of the most significant financial reckonings faced by the Diocese in connection with historical abuse allegations.

Church leadership indicated that the vast majority of the claims date back more than five decades, with many allegations tracing to the 1960s and 1970s. In a letter addressed to parishioners, Bishop Robert Brennan stated that the Diocese has begun setting aside substantial funds and implementing cost cutting measures to support compensation efforts.

“To facilitate this global resolution, the Diocese is cost-cutting and setting aside significant funds to compensate victim-survivors,” Brennan wrote. He further emphasized that settlement payments would not be drawn from parishioner donations, adding, “The funds used to make these settlements, and future ones, have not and will not come from your donations to the Diocese or from your parish offerings.”

According to Brennan, attorneys representing the Diocese have initiated discussions with leading lawyers handling large numbers of claims. The stated goal is to avoid prolonged courtroom proceedings and instead resolve valid cases more efficiently.

“We will endeavor to resolve expeditiously all meritorious claims, and to avoid the time, expense, and emotional strain for victim-survivors that would be caused by individual trials,” Brennan said.

Attorneys representing survivors responded cautiously to the announcement. A lawyer with one firm representing more than 200 claimants described the development as encouraging but stressed that outcomes would ultimately define its impact.

“The Diocese’ announcement offers promise but action is what counts,” said Trusha Goffe.

Another plaintiff’s attorney highlighted the longstanding mistrust many survivors feel toward church authorities, while acknowledging that a global resolution could be meaningful if structured appropriately.

“The announcement today by Bishop Brennan to pursue a global resolution of remaining clergy sexual cases is a step in the right direction only it helps survivors or victims gain a degree of validation,” said A plaintiff’s attorney.

“Bishop Brennan must understand that clergy sexual abuse survivors, for good reason, do not trust the Catholic Church or its leaders,” the attorney added. “Accordingly, the settlement program must be without delay, uncomplicated, and fair.”

The Brooklyn Diocese previously established an Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program in 2017, which has paid more than $100 million to over 500 survivors. Separate civil litigation has also resulted in large settlements, including a $27.5 million agreement reached in 2018 involving four men who alleged they were sexually abused by a church affiliated teacher.

To manage the scale of the new negotiations, the Diocese retained major legal and financial advisory firms and appointed neutral mediators with experience resolving large volumes of clergy sexual abuse claims. The Diocese of Brooklyn, which also encompasses Queens, serves approximately 1.3 million Catholics.

The settlement discussions arise in the broader context of New York’s Child Victims Act of 2019, which expanded survivors’ ability to bring civil lawsuits involving childhood sexual abuse, including claims based on decades old allegations. The law triggered hundreds of lawsuits against Catholic dioceses across the state, contributing to multiple bankruptcy filings by other diocesan entities.

Related News: Brooklyn Diocese Agrees to Mediation Over More Than 1,000 Sexual Abuse Claims