New York Archdiocese To Name Accused Priests and Open Internal Files Under $800M Sexual Abuse Settlement

The Archdiocese of New York is nearing an $800 million (approximately £630 million) sexual abuse settlement that would not only compensate around 1,300 survivors but also require the Church to publicly identify clergy members and lay leaders credibly accused of abuse, according to a report from the New York Times.

The agreement represents a significant development for survivors who have spent years pursuing claims against the Catholic institution. Beyond financial compensation, the proposed terms include publishing the names of credibly accused individuals on the archdiocese's website and updating the list when future allegations are substantiated.

According to the New York Times, lawyers representing the plaintiffs said they had finalised the settlement and that all 1,300 claimants had agreed to the revised terms. However, an archdiocese spokesperson said on Friday that the parties were still working to complete the agreement.

Public Naming of Accused Clergy at Heart of Deal

One of the most consequential provisions of the proposed settlement is the requirement for the archdiocese to publish the names of clergy members and lay leaders who were credibly accused of sexual abuse.

The list would also have to be updated as future claims were substantiated, according to The New York Times. Survivors and their lawyers said the disclosure requirements could help expose past abuse and support efforts to prevent further harm.

The public release of names could provide greater visibility into allegations that survivors have pursued through years of legal proceedings. It would also create an ongoing disclosure obligation rather than limiting the information released to the settlement itself.

The agreement's reported provisions do not establish that every person named has been criminally convicted. The distinction between a credible accusation and a criminal conviction remains important when reporting allegations of abuse.

The proposed settlement also raises questions about what information the archdiocese would have disclosed if it had instead filed for bankruptcy. According to The New York Times, it remains unclear what disclosures, if any, would have been required under that alternative process.

Survivors Offered Choice on Payouts After Long Legal Fight

The settlement would cover claims from approximately 1,300 people who said they were sexually abused by clergy members and lay leaders. The proposed terms would allow each plaintiff to choose between a lump-sum payment of at least $250,000 (approximately £200,000) or a potentially larger amount determined through a review of the abuse described in their claim.

The arrangement follows years of negotiations, with some survivors initially resisting the proposal because they believed it did not adequately address the harm they experienced.

According to the New York Times, plaintiffs' lawyers said the archdiocese negotiated with one of its insurers to increase the amount available to a small group of holdouts. A separate pool of $20 million (approximately £16 million) would be divided among those claimants.

The lawyers had warned that failing to reach an agreement could lead the archdiocese to file for bankruptcy, potentially reducing payouts and extending litigation that had already lasted years.

Attorney Paul Mones, whose firm represents 33 plaintiffs, praised the survivors for their persistence throughout the negotiations. He said the agreement could provide them with some measure of comfort and healing after years of pain.

Trusha Goffe, an attorney with Jeff Anderson & Associates, also informed clients that the revised agreement had been finalised from the plaintiffs' side. She said further details about the settlement process would follow.

Settlement Follows Wave of Major Catholic Abuse Payouts

The proposed agreement follows other major settlements involving Catholic institutions accused of failing to prevent or address sexual abuse.

According to the New York Times, the Archdiocese of San Francisco agreed in June to pay $395 million (approximately £310 million) to settle claims from more than 530 people who said they had been abused by clergy members and lay leaders. In 2024, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles reached a settlement worth more than $1 billion (approximately £790 million) involving similar claims.

The New York Archdiocese covers Manhattan, the Bronx, Staten Island and several communities in the Hudson Valley.

While the financial terms are substantial, the proposed agreement's public disclosure provisions could have lasting significance for survivors seeking recognition and greater transparency. The requirement to identify credibly accused clergy and lay leaders would make the settlement more than a compensation arrangement.

The agreement's final implementation remains subject to completion of the settlement process. If carried out as described, it would provide compensation to survivors while requiring the archdiocese to make information about substantiated abuse allegations publicly accessible.