The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York has announced a settlement for victims of sexual abuse over decades, putting forth an $800 million trust to pay claims brought under New York’s Child Victims Act.
Both the Archdiocese and lawyers representing sex abuse victims issued statements on May 1. Negotiations continue and the deal still faces hurdles.
The proposal would be subject to “full survivor agreement” before it can be finalized, according to Jeff Anderson & Associates, a law firm that represents victims of childhood sexual abuse across the nation.
The deal was reached with the Plaintiff Liability Committee, comprised of eight law firms that collectively represent close to 70% of the survivor claims against the Archdiocese of New York.
Retired Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Daniel Buckley has been mediating between the Archdiocese and victims. He also mediated a settlement in which the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, which provided $880 million, the largest settlement amount so far, to compensate sex abuse victims.
The Archdiocese of New York includes some 300 parishes throughout Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester counties as well as Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island. Properties owned by the archdiocese include rectories and churches as well as schools and community centers.
Hicks: A hope for peace for victims
Archbishop Ronald Hicks, who took over the New York Archdiocese in February, said on May 1 that he was “cautiously optimistic about the path we are on.”
“It cannot be denied that this has been a painful process — most significantly so for the victim-survivors and their families and loved ones who have suffered, in most cases, for decades,” he wrote in an open letter to The Good Newsroom, a news product of the Archdiocese. “I pray that all of us, as the Family of God, will come together to support and affirm these individuals and take these next steps to bring about some healing and peace.”
The Archdiocese of New York is one of the few in the state that hadn’t yet declared bankruptcy amid fallout and costs from past sex abuse scandals.
What is the Child Victims Act
New York enacted the Child Victims Act in 2020. The CVA changed the state’s strict statute of limitations on sexual crimes against children and opened up a “look back window” to revive past claims of any age.
Thousands of lawsuits have been filed since then.
Priests and lay staff in the Archdiocese have been the subject of about 1,300 CVA filings.
In December 2025, Cardinal Timothy Dolan announced the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York was setting aside $300 million to settle New York’s Child Victims Act accusations. The announcement came less than two weeks before Pope Leo XIV accepted Dolan’s retirement.
Plans included selling off assets, including those in the Lower Hudson Valley, to raise the money for a settlement. Dolan also announced a 10% reduction in the Archdiocese’s operating budget.
At the same time, the Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Scarsdale announced bankruptcy proceedings. A former gym teacher at the parish school and other Westchester parishes had been named in dozens of lawsuits citing abuse allegations from decades ago.
Nancy Cutler covers People & Policy. Reach her at ncutler@lohud.com; follow her on X, Bluesky and Instagram at @nancyrockland.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: NY Archdiocese reveals $800M deal to settle sex abuse claims
Reporting by Nancy Cutler, Rockland/Westchester Journal News / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
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