Survivor of Fr. Michael Freeman declined highest settlement offer in any New York Diocesan Compensation Program.
Diocese of Buffalo failed to remove Fr. Freeman from ministry after at least three reports to the Diocese.
This press conference features a Diocese of Buffalo survivor speaking publicly for the first time about abuse by Fr. Michael Freeman and why he chose to reject the highest settlement offer made through a New York diocesan compensation program. During the event, he explains that accepting money without answers did not feel right to him and that he wants more transparency about what church officials knew, when they knew it, and why Fr. Freeman remained in ministry after multiple reports had already been made. The press conference also highlights allegations that diocesan officials moved the priest instead of removing him, allowing further abuse to occur.
The survivor explains that he chose to use his name publicly to encourage other survivors to come forward and to push the Diocese of Buffalo to be more transparent. Speakers at the event emphasize that compensation alone does not replace accountability, disclosure, or truth, and that legal action may be necessary to uncover records, internal decisions, and the full scope of what was concealed. The overall focus of the press conference is transparency, survivor empowerment, and holding institutions accountable for decisions that may have put children at risk.