Ogdensburg, NY Diocese Agrees To $45 Million Settlement With Sexual Abuse Survivors

Photo: St. Mary’s Cathedral, Roman Catholic Diocese of Ogdensburg; via Wikipedia.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Ogdensburg has agreed to a $45 million settlement with survivors who say they were sexually abused as children by clergy, church employees, volunteers, or other Catholic leaders connected to the diocese, WWNYTV.com reported.

The settlement would resolve 125 claims filed under New York’s Child Victims Act, a landmark 2019 law that temporarily reopened the courthouse doors for survivors whose civil claims had previously been blocked by the statute of limitations. The diocese filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on July 17, 2023, after facing dozens of claims tied to childhood sexual abuse allegations.

The agreement must still be approved through the bankruptcy process before survivors receive compensation. According to reports, the $45 million would be placed into a survivor trust as part of the diocese’s reorganization plan. The plan is expected to be voted on by claimants, including abuse survivors, and must be confirmed by the bankruptcy court before it takes effect.

Ogdensburg Diocese Settlement Follows Bankruptcy Filing

The Diocese of Ogdensburg serves Catholic communities across New York’s North Country region. Like several other Catholic dioceses in New York and across the United States, it turned to bankruptcy court after a wave of lawsuits was filed under revived child sexual abuse claim windows.

“My hope and prayer is that this process will bring peace and healing to all survivors and to all the faithful whose hearts were broken by the gravely sinful conduct of Church leaders. I pray that this settlement will bring healing to all,” said Bishop Terry LaValley.

The Child Victims Act gave survivors of childhood sexual abuse a limited period to file civil lawsuits even if the abuse occurred decades earlier and the previous statute of limitations had expired. Similar lookback laws and statute of limitations reforms in other states have led to major clergy sexual abuse settlements and bankruptcy filings involving Catholic dioceses, including cases in Rochester, San Diego, New Orleans, Baltimore, and other jurisdictions.

The Ogdensburg Diocese said the bankruptcy process was intended to create a global resolution for abuse claims while allowing the diocese to continue operating. The diocese has said it filed for Chapter 11 protection to address claims filed under the Child Victims Act and to reach a settlement with survivors.

Survivor Committee Helped Negotiate Settlement

As part of the bankruptcy case, a committee of abuse survivors was appointed to represent those who filed claims against the diocese and other Catholic entities connected to the case. That committee negotiated with the diocese over the proposed reorganization plan and settlement structure.

A plaintiff’s attorney representing some survivors described the agreement as an important step toward accountability.

“We are deeply grateful to the survivors who found the courage to come forward and expose painful truths that had remained hidden for far too long,” stated A plaintiff’s attorney. “While there is still more work ahead, today’s settlement marks an important step toward justice and accountability for survivors in the Diocese of Ogdensburg.”

The settlement does not immediately end the bankruptcy case. The reorganization plan still requires additional legal steps, including claimant voting and court confirmation. Once approved, the diocese and insurance carriers are expected to contribute funds to the survivor trust, and the money would then become available for distribution to eligible survivors.

Bishop Says Abuse Must Never Happen Again

LaValley said he hopes the settlement brings some measure of peace to survivors and to the wider Catholic community affected by the allegations.

“The great harm that has been caused by this sinful behavior must never be allowed to happen again. It is my sincere hope that this process has brought the survivors some comfort and peace,” said LaValley.

The bishop also said more work remains, including continued discussions over child protection policies intended to prevent future abuse. According to WPTZ, the diocese will continue negotiating details of child protection policies as part of the broader reorganization process.

For many survivors, however, financial settlements are only one part of the accountability process. Catholic clergy sexual abuse cases often involve decades of alleged silence, institutional failure, reassignment of abusive clergy, inadequate warnings to parishioners, and delayed disclosure to families and law enforcement.

Why The Ogdensburg Settlement Matters

The Ogdensburg settlement is smaller than some of the largest Catholic sexual abuse bankruptcy resolutions, but it follows a familiar pattern. A state opens a legal window for older abuse claims. Survivors come forward. A diocese faces a large number of lawsuits. The diocese files for bankruptcy. Survivors then negotiate through a committee for compensation, document disclosure, and child protection reforms.

In Rochester, another New York diocese, a $246 million settlement was tied to approximately 470 survivors. In New Orleans, a bankruptcy settlement was approved for approximately 600 survivors and included both compensation and reforms in how the archdiocese handles abuse cases. In San Diego, the diocese filed for bankruptcy after facing 457 sexual abuse claims following a California law that revived older claims.

The Ogdensburg case shows that the legal consequences of clergy sexual abuse are still unfolding. Many of the claims involve abuse that allegedly happened years or decades ago. But the lawsuits, settlements, and bankruptcy proceedings are happening now because state lawmakers have increasingly recognized that childhood sexual abuse survivors often need many years before they are ready or able to come forward.

A Step Toward Compensation, But Not The End Of The Story

If approved, the $45 million settlement will allow the Diocese of Ogdensburg to emerge from bankruptcy and provide compensation to survivors who filed claims. But the settlement also raises larger questions that have followed Catholic Church sexual abuse cases nationwide.

What did church leaders know? When did they know it? Were abusive clergy or church personnel removed, reported, or quietly moved elsewhere? Were families warned? Were survivors believed? And have dioceses done enough to make sure the same failures are not repeated?

For survivors, the bankruptcy process can be painful, technical, and slow. But the Ogdensburg settlement represents another example of survivors forcing long hidden allegations into public view and pushing powerful religious institutions toward accountability.