Agreement Does Not Include Diocese’s Insurers
(Buffalo, NY) – Sexual abuse survivors and the Diocese of Buffalo have reached a $150 million settlement on behalf of hundreds of survivors who came forward under the New York Child Victims Act. The $150 million settlement includes contributions from the Diocese of Buffalo, the Diocese’s parishes, and other entities affiliated with the Diocese.
This historic settlement, which still needs court approval, is the second-largest contribution by a bankrupt Roman Catholic institution and its affiliates in any Roman Catholic bankruptcy case to date, and the largest contribution by a bankrupt diocese in upstate/western New York.
“We are grateful to the survivors who have served as committee members. They have worked tirelessly for all these years, struggling to find a measure of justice for all survivors in Buffalo.” – Attorney Steve Boyd
In addition to the monetary portion of the settlement, survivors and the Diocese continue to negotiate non-monetary terms of the settlement, including strengthening child protection measures and the release of diocesan documents pertaining to the accused perpetrators.
Diocese of Buffalo Insurers
Notably absent from this agreement are the insurance companies who provided coverage to the Diocese of Buffalo for decades.
“A more fulsome measure of accountability lies in pursuit of the insurance companies that have wrongfully refused to abide by their obligations to the Diocese and the survivors.” –Attorney Jeff Anderson
The Diocese of Buffalo was the second Roman Catholic Diocese in New York to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in response to hundreds of lawsuits filed under the New York Child Victims Act. The Diocese filed for bankruptcy over five years ago, on February 28, 2020.
“Although there is still a lot of work to be done, today’s settlement is a major step forward to reaching a long-awaited resolution for the hundreds of strong, heroic survivors who came forward in the Diocese of Buffalo. This is a testament to their persistence and perseverance.” -Attorney Stacey Benson
Attorneys from the offices of Jeff Anderson & Associates and Steve Boyd, PC, represent over 380 survivors who courageously came forward and submitted claims in the Diocese of Buffalo bankruptcy case.