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	Covington Abuse Case Has Maximum of 373 Claimants ChallengerNYK [Burlington KY] November 27, 2005 BURLINGTON - There are more than 370 potential plaintiffs in a class-action sex abuse lawsuit against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington, attorneys said Monday, but that number may drop before a settlement is finalized. Among the 373 preliminary claims filed by Sunday's deadline, some are from people who previously settled, while others are from people who were allegedly abused at churches in other dioceses, attorneys said. "For example, we got one from a man who was out of state," said Bob Steinberg, an attorney representing the plaintiffs. "Obviously, he won't be eligible." The figure was released during a short hearing in the case Monday in Boone County Circuit Court in Burlington. It was the first time a rough number of possible plaintiffs had been attached to the case. A special judge gave preliminary approval in July to the proposed $120 million settlement between the Covington diocese and alleged victims of sexual abuse. However, the amount paid out will depend on the number of plaintiffs certified to take part in the case, the nature of their claims and the severity of each victim's abuse. The lawsuit accuses the Northern Kentucky diocese of a decades-long cover-up of sexual abuse by priests. It covers anyone abused by a priest or employee of the Covington diocese for nearly a 50-year period. A hearing that would give final approval to or reject the settlement is scheduled for Jan. 9. If the full amount were paid out, the $120 million settlement would be the largest church sex abuse payout in the country.
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