ROCHESTER (NY)
Spectrum News [Syracuse NY]
July 24, 2025
By Keegan Trunick and Spectrum News Staff
A new settlement has been reached between hundreds of survivors of sexual abuse and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester.
The total $246 million settlement between the survivors and the diocese includes a $120 million payout from Continental Insurance Company, the final holdout insurer in the case, which was announced by attorneys.
CNA previously claimed the diocese breached contract when it dropped out of a 2022 settlement, and therefore it was no longer responsible for contributing to the settlement. A judge dismissed that case and CNA appealed the decision. However, the insurer has now agreed to a $120 million payout after survivors voted down a $75 million offer last year.
It’s a major development in the Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, which began in 2019 after the Child Victims Act was signed into law by then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The act allowed survivors of childhood sexual assault to take their abusers to court for crimes that took place before they turned 18 — waiving the statute of limitations for a limited time.
More than 450 sexual abuse survivors made claims against the Diocese of Rochester.