Every single one of them said yes. All of the roughly 1,300 people who filed claims saying they were sexually abused by clergy and lay leaders of the Archdiocese of New York have approved a settlement worth more than $800 million — a deal that required unanimity, with no holdouts, and ends more than seven years of litigation. It is the second-largest settlement of its kind involving a U.S. Catholic archdiocese, after Los Angeles' $880 million deal in 2024. Archbishop Ronald Hicks confirmed the understanding in an email to clergy on Saturday.
Under the terms, each survivor chooses: a lump-sum payment of at least $250,000, or a potentially larger amount through an individual claims-review process run by a trust. Money is not the whole of it — the Archdiocese must publish, and keep updated, a public list of clergy and lay leaders credibly accused of abuse, and release documents related to sexual offenders. Survivors also keep the right to pursue the Church's insurers in court for additional payouts.
"Our clients waited decades to be heard. Tonight they finally were," said Jeff Herman, whose firm represents about 260 of the survivors. "This settlement is not just about money. The Archdiocese is now required to publish the names of its abusers and keep that list current. That protects children going forward, and it is long overdue." Jeff Anderson, who represents another large group of claimants, called the unanimous agreement "a powerful moment in the pursuit of justice" and a step toward accountability brought about by the survivors' courage.
The claims flowed from New York's Child Victims Act of 2019, which let survivors sue until age 55 and opened a temporary window for older claims — about 1,300 of them against the Archdiocese, covering the Bronx, Manhattan, Staten Island and seven northern counties. To pay, the Archdiocese has sold property, including its former headquarters on First Avenue in Manhattan, cut staff and trimmed its operating budget by 10 per cent, alongside insurance money — a structure built deliberately to avoid a Chapter 11 bankruptcy that would have delayed and likely shrunk what survivors receive.
In his email to clergy, Archbishop Hicks wrote that the archdiocese has "reached an understanding with all of the plaintiffs and their attorneys" and is on the verge of bringing "some measure of healing and reconciliation to all victim-survivors." The documents are scheduled to be signed the week of November 6, after which the money moves into the trust for distribution. For the survivors — many of whom carried their claims for decades before New York law gave them a way to file — the vote closes the court fight; what they do with the lists, the documents and the insurers is the next chapter.
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