New York Archdiocese agrees to $800 million settlement over 1,300 sex abuse claims

The Archdiocese of New York has agreed to an $800 million settlement with approximately 1,300 clergy abuse survivors. The second-largest US Catholic archdiocese payout could advance accountability, healing and further compensation claims.

In Short

• Final agreement awaits signatures scheduled for the week of November 6
• Survivors may seek further compensation by suing the Church's insurers
• Church documents concerning sexual offenders will be released under the agreement

The Archdiocese of New York has agreed to an $800 million settlement with approximately 1,300 people who said they were sexually abused by clergy, marking the second-largest settlement involving a Catholic archdiocese in the United States.

Lawyers representing the survivors announced the agreement on Saturday, while Archbishop Ronald Hicks confirmed the development in an email to clergy.

The settlement was agreed upon in May, following more than seven years of litigation over claims of sexual abuse.

The agreement will not become final until the parties sign the settlement documents, a step scheduled for the week of November 6, Hicks said.

Jeff Anderson, an attorney representing survivors who filed claims against the Catholic Church in New York, described the unanimous agreement as “a powerful moment in the pursuit of justice”.

He said the survivors' determination had helped bring about greater accountability.

SECOND-LARGEST SETTLEMENT IN US

The $800 million settlement is the second-largest payout involving a Catholic archdiocese in the US. The Archdiocese of Los Angeles agreed in 2024 to pay $880 million to approximately 1,000 survivors of sexual abuse.

The Los Angeles archdiocese had also previously paid $740 million in claims.

In June, the Archdiocese of San Francisco agreed to a $395 million settlement covering approximately 500 lawsuits involving clergy sexual abuse.

In December 2025, a federal judge approved a settlement under which the Archdiocese of New Orleans agreed to pay at least $230 million to survivors.

The Catholic Church has paid billions of dollars in settlements across the US in recent years as survivors have pursued legal action over abuse that occurred decades ago.

The New York agreement also includes the release of documents relating to sexual offenders within the Church. It allows survivors to pursue additional compensation through litigation against the Church's insurers, while avoiding bankruptcy proceedings for the archdiocese.

NEW YORK LAW ENABLED LAWSUITS OVER DECADES-OLD ABUSE

The settlement follows a 2019 New York law that expanded the ability of survivors of child sexual abuse to bring civil lawsuits against their abusers and institutions accused of shielding them.

The law allowed survivors to file claims until the age of 55, while people who were already older than 55 when it was enacted received an additional window to file lawsuits. That period ended in August 2021.

The legislation enabled thousands of people to seek legal recourse over abuse that had occurred years or decades earlier.

Trusha Goffe, an attorney with Anderson's firm, called the agreement an extraordinary achievement for the survivors, saying they had remained determined through years of litigation.

ARCHDIOCESE SAYS SETTLEMENT COULD HELP SURVIVORS HEAL

The Archdiocese of New York serves the city's Bronx, Manhattan and Staten Island boroughs, along with seven counties north of New York City.

It is home to approximately 2.5 million Catholics and operates around 300 churches and more than 150 parochial schools.

In his message to clergy, Hicks said the settlement could help survivors move towards healing and reconciliation.

He also said the agreement would allow the archdiocese to refocus on its religious and charitable responsibilities, including caring for the poor, educating children and serving local communities.

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