ALBANY (NY)
WRGB - CBS 6 [Albany NY]
March 30, 2026
By Quinn Alexander
For Myra Russell, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany’s $148 million clergy abuse settlement is not a finish line. It is, she says, long overdue — and only a partial measure of justice after years of trauma. She says a lengthy process has made healing even harder.
Russell, a survivor of abuse by two priests within the Albany Diocese, said the resolution has taken a toll on her physical and emotional health. After years of fighting, she said the settlement provides “a sliver of relief,” even as though it cannot undo what happened.
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“My parents were led to believe that [priest] was safe and we were always at the Church,” Russell said.
Russell said the abuse began when she was young and escalated over time.
“You know, the peck on the cheek, then it comes closer to the lips and then it’s like the hugs and you know, the terms of endearment,” she said.
Russell said she was assaulted for years and threatened by her abusers to stay quiet.
“He made all sorts of threats. Your family is going to be homeless. Your parents are going to die. Your cats are going to die. You know, your sister is going to die. All sorts of threats, and you believe them,” Russell said.
She said no amount of money can erase the trauma of abuse, but the settlement offers some relief for survivors.
“In some ways, I’m happy, but in other ways, I hope that this is just the beginning. But if anything, this is an acknowledgement from the church that there were definitely very bad actors in the church,” she said.
Attorney Cynthia LaFave, who represents almost 200 survivors, said the settlement still must go through a formal approval process in bankruptcy court. She said the agreement will be sent to survivors for a vote before being submitted to a judge as part of the diocese’s reorganization plan.
“That is still going to have to be sent out to all of the survivors to be voted on and then the vote will be given with the entire plan of reorganization to the judge for his approval in bankruptcy court,” LaFave said.
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LaFave said survivors will not all receive the same amount. She said it will be up to the survivors’ committee to create a payment breakdown based on the abuse each person faced.
“The amount of time the abuse occurred, when the abuse occurred, what the abuse was. The allocation protocol from the committee will actually talk about how much each person will be getting,” LaFave said.
LaFave said the settlement does not include money from insurance companies and that negotiations are ongoing.
For Russell, the settlement alone is not enough. She said that without meaningful protocol changes meant to protect children, the agreement does not feel genuine — and she said she will continue fighting for accountability.