New York Diocese of Ogdensburg will pay $45 million to sex abuse victims

The Diocese of Ogdensburg, New York, will pay out $45 million to abuse victims, part of a yearslong bankruptcy process that began after dozens of sex abuse cases were filed against it.

The diocese said in a May 19 statement that the diocesan administration, along with “parishes, schools, and other Catholic entities,” would contribute into the settlement, which would be organized as a “survivor trust.”

“Once the plan is confirmed by the Bankruptcy Court, the $45 million contributed to the survivor trust … will be available for distribution to survivors of sexual abuse perpetrated against them by clergy, religious, lay employees, and volunteers,” the diocese said.

Ogdensburg Bishop Terry LaValley prayed that the settlement “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.”

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

The diocese “is committed to ensuring the safety of all persons entrusted to our care,” the bishop said.

The New York-based law firm Jeff Anderson & Associates said in a May 19 press release that the diocese and abuse victims “will continue negotiations regarding significant nonmonetary provisions,” including “enhancements to child protection policies and the public disclosure of information related to clergy and other personnel accused of sexual abuse.”

The Ogdensburg Diocese filed for bankruptcy in July 2023, the sixth diocese in New York state to do so.

The bankruptcy filing came as the diocese was facing dozens of abuse lawsuits filed under the stateʼs 2019 Child Victims Act, which significantly expanded the window in which abuse victims could file lawsuits against abusers and institutions.

At the time of the bankruptcy filing, LaValley said dealing with the lawsuits on a case-by-case basis would be “slow” and “unpredictable.”

“Reorganization ensures that each survivor receives just compensation,” the bishop said at the time. “It eliminates a race to the courthouse in which the earliest cases settled or brought to judgment could exhaust the resources available to pay claims, leaving nothing for victims whose cases are resolved later.”

Earlier this month it was announced that the Archdiocese of New York would pay $800 million into an abuse settlement there, with the amount covering around 1,300 victims who also filed under the state Child Victims Act.