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  Sexual Abuse by U.S. Catholic Clergy
Settlements and Monetary Awards in Civil Suits


This page provides a master list of the major settlements and monetary awards in the U.S. Catholic abuse crisis, which now total over $3 billion. We also present information on the settlement process, including the important nonmonetary provisions of many agreements, and provide sample documents. See below for:

Background and documents
Nonmonetary provisions
Largest settlements by total dollar amount
Largest individual settlements
What survivors received in settlements involving 25 or more cases
Master list of settlements and awards in chronological order

Background and Documents

Out-of-court settlements of civil suits are an important aspect of the Catholic clergy abuse situation in the United States, but they are by no means the only possible outcome of an abuse allegation. As you explore this page, we encourage you to keep in mind the larger context of the settlements. In the tables below, we document settlements involving 5,679 persons who allege sexual abuse by Catholic clergy. These survivors are only one-third of the 15,235 allegations that the bishops say they have received through 2009, and they are only 5% of the 100,000 U.S. victims that Fr. Andrew Greeley estimated in a 1993 study. Important as these settlements are, they represent a minority of known cases, and a tiny fraction of all the abuse perpetrated by Catholic clergy.

  • Most survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy will never come forward to file a criminal or civil complaint. Two factors are especially important:
    • Statutes of limitations in most states do not take into account the time that must usually pass before victims of these crimes are able to come forward.
    • Many survivors were told by the cleric that they were the only victims. Dioceses have compounded this problem by dealing quietly with abuse allegations – failing to notify parishes and schools where abusers worked, obtaining confidentiality agreements, and using various "pastoral" approaches. Only 24 dioceses have so far released a list of accused clergy. As a result, many survivors must overcome loneliness and neglect if they are to come forward.

  • Many thousands of survivors of clergy abuse have struggled with psychiatric problems and substance abuse, and hundreds have taken their own lives. The sexual abuse of children by Catholic clergy has had massive economic consequences that far exceed the costs of civil claims – in lost earnings, increased requirements for healthcare and other services, financial effects on family members, and the cost of investigating crimes, trying the perpetrators, incarcerating them, and managing their paroles.

  • Catholic priests who have been accused of sexual abuse number between 5,700 and 10,000, but because of restrictive statutes of limitations, only a few hundred have been tried, convicted, and sentenced for their crimes. The rest are never listed on a Meghan's Law list, and society bears the terrible cost of their continued access to children.
For links to articles and documents relating to settlements, please see our Background Information on Settlements between Dioceses and Victims of Sexual Abuse.

 

Nonmonetary Provisions

Survivors often cite the prevention of future abuse and the protection of vulnerable children as key motivations and goals. The survivors of clergy abuse are painfully aware of these issues because often they were abused by a priest who had abused previously and was then transferred to an unsuspecting parish. Often a survivor's struggle to come to terms with the abuse is made more difficult by the way that a diocese or a religious order handled abuse claims.

Many settlements include nonmonetary terms. Here is a small sample:

Santa Rosa CA • 3 nonmonetary terms 2000-03-15

Accused priest was Rev. Donald Kimball. For more information on this Santa Rosa settlement, see below.

       
Los Angeles CA • 11 nonmonetary terms 2000-12-04 Plaintiff was Ryan DiMaria; accused priest was Msgr. Michael A. Harris. For more information on this Los Angeles settlement, see below.
       
Toledo OH • 5 nonmonetary terms 2004-07-03 Plaintiffs were William and Scott Clarr; accused priest was Rev. Bernard Kokocinski. For more information on this Toledo settlement, see below.
       
Jackson MS • 5 nonmonetary terms 2006-03-16 Lead plaintiff was Kenneth Morrison; accused priests were Broussard, Kirchner, Haddican, et al. For more information on this Jackson settlement, see below.
       
Spokane WA • 7 nonmonetary terms 2007-01-05 For more information on this Spokane settlement, see below.
       

Davenport IA

• 17 nonmonetary terms 2008-02-01 For more information on this Davenport settlement, see below. Bankruptcy Judge Lee Jackwig required as a condition of approving the reorganization plan that the diocese submit three annual reports on its compliance with the nonmonetary terms. The first report was filed on 6/5/09, and the second report was filed on 5/3/10.
       
Chicago IL • 2 nonmonetary terms 2008-08-12 Deposition and document release. For more information on this Chicago settlement, see below.
       
Kansas City-St. Joseph MO • 19 nonmonetary terms 2008-08-19 For more information on this Kansas City-St. Joseph settlement, see below. On 10/6/11, 42 of the 47 survivors in the settlement filed a complaint to compel arbitration of their claim that the diocese was in breach of contract regarding its nonmonetary commitments. The complaint includes as exhibits the three settlement documents. On 6/6/12, Judge Peggy McGraw ordered the parties into arbitration. The arbitrator's Modified Final Award is dated 4/11/14. See also Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph to Pay for Failure to Report Abuse, by Julie Bosman, NY Times (6/30/14).
       
Fairbanks AK • 10 nonmonetary commitments 2010-01-04  
       
Indianapolis IN • 7 nonmonetary terms 2010-05-03 For more information on this Indianapolis settlement, see below.
       
• Wilmington DE 11 nonmonetary terms relating to document release
18 nonmonetary terms relating to matters other than document release
2011-02-02 The Diocese of Wilmington posts the nonmonetary terms on its website.
       
Oregon Province of the Jesuits • 22 nonmonetary commitments, with some of the 22 numbered paragraphs providing clarifications or additional detail, rather than separate commitments 2011-07-18  
       
Philadelphia Province of the
Oblates of St. Francis de Sales
• 17 nonmonetary terms 2011-08-04 See also the settlement document that is the basis for the public document linked at the left. The Oblates of St. Francis de Sales post the nonmonetary terms on their website.
       
Christian Brothers’ Institute and The Christian Brothers of Ireland • 18 commitments 2014-06-11 The Christian Brothers post the nonmonetary commitments on their homepage, in the lower left.

 

Sexual abuse litigation in the United States almost always ends in settlement. Until recently, the Catholic bishops dealt with the cases one-by-one and required confidentiality agreements as a condition of settlement. This strategy was apparently intended to keep victims from connecting with each other and to keep cases out of the media. The Kos trial in the late 1990s, with its large monetary award, confirmed the bishops in their fear of the courtroom. We know of 41 cases that have gone to trial since 1950 out of more than 3,000.

When the current phase of the crisis broke in 2002 and California opened a statute-of-limitations window for civil suits, the huge case load prompted judges to consolidate the cases. Dioceses that filed for bankruptcy also obtained consolidation on favorable terms. In the Orange diocese, the leverage of the consolidated plaintiffs was used to obtain diocesan documents as a condition of settlement, but that success has been difficult to repeat. The Los Angeles archdiocese settled with a promise to release documents, but no documents have yet been forthcoming. That is the situation in San Diego as well. A document provision in a settlement with the Franciscans in California has been contested. The Court of Appeals in California ordered on September 30, 2010, that the documents be released. A document release stipulated by the Portland OR settlement appears to be a partial release and has been criticized.

We will be adding smaller settlements to the following table. If you know of a settlement that we should include or have corrections to the list, please email us a citation or a link to a newspaper article. This table was last updated on 10/8/10.

 

Largest Settlements by Total Dollar Amount

Settlement Date/Year Priests Amount
($000s)
Victims
Fees
Amount
per
Victim
($000s)
Comments
Los Angeles CA 2007-07-14 221 priests, brothers, lay teachers and other church employees 660,000 508 40% 780 The archdiocese committed to release documents as part of the settlement but as yet has not.
San Diego CA 2007-09-07   198,100 144 40% 825 Settlement in bankruptcy.
Oregon Province of the Jesuits 2011-03-25 Names of priests not announced. 166,100 500 40% 199 Settlement in bankruptcy. The province will pay $48.1 million and Safeco, their insurer, will pay $118 million. About $6 million from the settlement will go into a pool for future claims.
Orange CA 2004-12-02 31 priests, 10 lay personnel, 2 nuns, and 1 brother 100,000 91 40% 659 Diocesan files were released as part of the settlement.
Boston MA 2003-09-09 140 priests, 2 others 84,250 552 40% 92  
Covington KY 2006-01-09 35 priests (as of 6/4/05) 79,082 243 22% 254 Class action settlement. Original 6/3/05 agreement of $120M reduced when fewer survivors came forward than expected. The diocese settled with its self-insurers Catholic Mutual ($40M) and Fireman's Fund ($5M). Awards were to range from $5K to $450K. For extensive information on the class action settlement, see our cached copy of the class action website, with links to documents and articles.
Wilmington DE 2011-02-02 Names of priests not announced. 77,425 150 40% 310 Pending approval of judge, with contribution of religious orders yet to be determined
Portland OR 2007-04-17 It is difficult to establish what clerics and others were included. But see Claims in Court Far Outnumber Church Listing, by Ashbel S. Green and Steve Woodward, The Oregonian (11/12/06). 71,450 169 19% 342 Of the $71.45M, $40.7 was to go to 146 claimants, with the remaining $13.75M allocated to 26 unsettled claims and $17M to attorneys. Up to $20M would be made available for future claims. Insurance would pay $51.75M, with the archdiocese paying the rest, up to a maximum of $39.7M. Unsettled claims and document release were agreed 4/17/07. Document release on 6/6/07 was meager. The State of Oregon settled separately for $1.05M with 14 alleged Sprauer victims who were also included in the settlement with the archdiocese.
Los Angeles CA 2006-12-01 7 priests active during Mahony's time in LA (Baker, Henry, Rodriguez, Wempe; and Dober, Martini, and Orellana, whom the archdiocese previously cleared) 60,000 45 40% 800  
Oakland CA 2005-08-05 Reports do not provide the number or all names of priests in the settlement, but included were 2 claims of abuse by Ponciroli and 4 claims of abuse by Kiesle. 56,000 56 40% 600 See also other articles on the settlement and the funding of this settlement.
Fairbanks AK - Jesuits 2007-11-16 12 Jesuit priests and three volunteers 50,000 110 40% 273  
Spokane WA 2007-01-05 The names of the priests included in this settlement are not known. See Deal Allows Secrets to Remain, by John Stucke, Spokesman Review (5/4/07) 48,000 150 40% 192 Part of bankruptcy reorganization. $20M from 6 insurers; $18M from sale of chancery and other assets and from contributions; $1M from the 82 parishes. Payments $15K to $1.5 M. Some nonmonetary commitments, including a document release that has been criticized as selective.
Davenport IA 2007-12-04   37,000 162 40% 137 Settlement in bankruptcy case. See also this article. Included nonmonetary provisions.
Sacramento CA 2005-06-29 10 (Lynch, Boyle, Moreno, Garcia, Urbina, Brady, Henson, Mennis, Blanco, and one unnamed) 35,000 33 40% 636 Settled one day before civil trial of Blanco was set to begin. Insurers covered <50%. Minimum pre-fee payout was $400K; maximum was $4.25M.
Boston MA 2005-06-30 and before The archdiocesan report from which the information about these settlements is derived does not name the priests involved. 33,150 257 40% 77 This is an aggregate figure for Boston settlements before 6/30/05, not including the $10M settlement with Geoghan survivors on 9/18/02 and the $84.25M settlement on 9/9/03. We calculated the aggregate number by subtracting the amounts of those two settlements from the pre-6/30/05 totals of $127.4M and 895 survivors, as provided by the archdiocese in its 4/19/06 report.
Los Angeles CA - Franciscans 2006-03-13 10 priests and brothers (including Cimmarusti, Van Handel, Krumm, and Cabot) 28,000 25 40% 672  
Louisville KY 2003-06-10 34 priests and 5 workers (including Miller, Wood, and Clark) 25,700 243 40% 63  

 

Largest Per-Survivor Awards

Settlement Date/Year Priests Amount
($000s)
Victims
Fees
Amount
per
Victim
($000s)
Comments
Rockville Centre NY 2007-05-18 1 lay music minister (Maiello) 11,450 2 40% 3,435 Verdict in a civil trial.
LA CA (DiMaria) 2001-08-20 1 priest (Harris) 5,200 1 40% 3,120 Included nonmonetary provisions.
Oklahoma City OK 2001-12 1 priest (Rapp) 5,000 1 40% 3,000  
Belleville IL 2008-08-27 1 priest (Kownacki) 5,000 1 40% 3,000 Jury verdict in civil trial: $2.4M in compensatory damages and $2.6M in punitive damages. Verdict upheld 10/31/08. Diocese filed notice of appeal on 11/26/08.
Savannah GA 2009-10-28 1 priest (Rev. Wayland Y. Brown) 4,240 1 40% 2,544 In addition to the $4.24M settlement, the survivor had previously received $200K for therapy, which is not included in this table.
Stockton CA 1998-07-16 1 priest (O'Grady) 7,650 2 40% 2,295 Original jury award on 7/16/98 was $30 million.
Los Gatos CA - Jesuits 2002-09-04 3 named Jesuit defendants, 1 priest (Burke) and 2 brothers (Connor and Ellis) 7,500 2 40% 2,250 See also this background article.
Santa Rosa CA 2005-04-22 1 priest (Donald Kimball) 3,300 1 40% 1,980  
Oakland CA 2004-01-23 1 priest (Francis) 3,050 1 40% 1,830  
Stockton CA 2005-05-19 1 priest (Oliver O'Grady) 3,000 1 40% 1,800  
Dallas TX 1998-07-10 1 priest (Kos) 23,400 8 40% 1,755 The 8 survivors represented by Turley settled for $23.4M. They and the other 3 survivors (see above) were originally awarded $119.6M by a jury on 7/24/97.
Fort Worth TX 2005-04-09 1 priest (Teczar) 2,750 1 40% 1,650  
Altoona-Johnstown PA 1994-04-21 1 priest (Luddy) 2,569 1 40% 1,541 Jury found for plaintiff on 4/21/94; ultimate award of $2.569M in this complex case was $869K in compensatory damages, delay damages, and punitive damages to be paid by Luddy, plus $1.7M in restored punitive damages to be paid by diocese.
Dallas TX 1998-03-04 1 priest (Kos) 7,500 3 40% 1,500 The 3 survivors represented by Demarest settled for $7.5M. They and the other 8 survivors (see below) were originally awarded $119.6M by a jury on 7/24/97.
Chicago IL 2008-09-11   2,500 1 40% 1,500  
Oakland CA
2004-12-23 3 brothers 6,300 3 40% 1,260  
San Bernardino CA 2003-06-30 1 priest (Ball) 4,200 2 40% 1,260 On 10/15/03, a judge ordered Ball to pay the plaintiffs $26M; it appears unlikely that he will be able to do so.
Memphis TN 2009-02-28   2,000 1 40% 1,200  
Chicago IL 2003-07-01 1 priest (McCaffrey) 1,900 1 40% 1,140  
Davenport IA 2005-05-09 1 priest (Janssen) 1,892 1 40% 1,135 Jury ordered Janssen to pay $632K in punitive damages and $1.26M in other damages.
Lafayette LA 1987-12-11 1 (Gauthe) 1,800 1 40% 1,080 Award in jury trial; $1.55M for the victim and $250K for his parents.
St. Louis MO 2004-04-21 1 priest (Wolken) 1,675 1 40% 1,005  
Milwaukee WI 2006-09-01 2 priests (Becker and Widera) 16,650 10 40% 999  

 

What Individual Survivors Received in Settlements Involving 25 or More Cases

Settlement Date/Year Priests Amount
($000s)
Victims
Fees
Amount
per
Victim
($000s)
Comments
San Diego CA 2007-09-07   198,100 144 40% 825 Settlement in bankruptcy.
Los Angeles CA 2006-12-01 7 priests active during Mahony's time in LA (Baker, Henry, Rodriguez, Wempe; and Dober, Martini, and Orellana, whom the archdiocese previously cleared) 60,000 45 40% 800  
Los Angeles CA 2007-07-14 221 priests, brothers, lay teachers and other church employees 660,000 508 40% 780 The archdiocese committed to release documents as part of the settlement but as yet has not.
Los Angeles CA - Franciscans 2006-03-13 10 priests and brothers (including Cimmarusti, Van Handel, Krumm, and Cabot) 28,000 25 40% 672  
Orange CA 2004-12-02 31 priests, 10 lay personnel, 2 nuns, and 1 brother 100,000 91 40% 659 Diocesan files were released as part of the settlement.
Sacramento CA 2005-06-29 10 (Lynch, Boyle, Moreno, Garcia, Urbina, Brady, Henson, Mennis, Blanco, and one unnamed) 35,000 33 40% 636 Settled one day before civil trial of Blanco was set to begin. Insurers covered <50%. Minimum pre-fee payout was $400K; maximum was $4.25M.
Oakland CA 2005-08-05 Reports do not provide the number or all names of priests in the settlement, but included were 2 claims of abuse by Ponciroli and 4 claims of abuse by Kiesle. 56,000 56 40% 600 See also other articles on the settlement and the funding of this settlement.
Burlington VT 2010-05-13 Paquette and others 17,650 26 40% 407  
Bridgeport CT 2001-03-08 6 priests (Pcolka, Federici, Carr, Coleman, Gorecki, and Malloy) 15,000 26 40% 346 The amount of this settlement was not reported at the time, but later articles have stated that it was "about $15 million," a number estimated from the diocesan total of $37.7M from 1953 to 2/15/04, minus the $21M settlement on 10/16/03, and the $250K settlement on 6/6/94. This leaves $450K for other settlements, for which amounts have not been disclosed, including:
• 1/13/89 (O'Connor)
• 1/21/94 (Brett)
• 6/26/95 (Coleman)
• 3/4/98 (O'Connor)
• 3/13/98 (O'Connor)
• 5/24/99 (Federici)
• Summer 1999 (Stubbs, Carr, and Moore)
• 10/21/03 (Moore)
After the 2/15/04 total, settlements were made for undisclosed amounts on:
• 1/18/05 (Castaldo)
• 8/1/06 (Gildea)
On the 3/8/01 settlement, see background article with corrections on Malloy and discussion of Egan's role.
Portland OR 2007-04-17 It is difficult to establish what clerics and others were included. But see Claims in Court Far Outnumber Church Listing, by Ashbel S. Green and Steve Woodward, The Oregonian (11/12/06). 71,450 169 19% 342 Of the $71.45M, $40.7 was to go to 146 claimants, with the remaining $13.75M allocated to 26 unsettled claims and $17M to attorneys. Up to $20M would be made available for future claims. Insurance would pay $51.75M, with the archdiocese paying the rest, up to a maximum of $39.7M. Unsettled claims and document release were agreed 4/17/07. Document release on 6/6/07 was meager. The State of Oregon settled separately for $1.05M with 14 alleged Sprauer victims who were also included in the settlement with the archdiocese.
Bridgeport CT 2003-10-16 16 priests (Gorecki, Grady, Bietighofer, DeShan, Federici, Donovan, Pcolka, Stubbs, Bonaszek, Coleman, Gray, McGoldrick, Morrissey, Veich, Albeke, and Ryan) 21,000 40 40% 315 "All settlements prior to the latest one total $16.7 million and involve 47 claims of sexual abuse of a minor."
Wilmington DE 2011-02-02 Names of priests not announced. 77,425 150 40% 310 Pending approval of judge, with contribution of religious orders yet to be determined
Hartford CT 2005-11-01 14 priests (Przybylo, Muha, Buckley, Ferguson, Graham, Reardon, Glynn, Maguire, Crowley, Paul, McSheffery, Paturzo, Foley, Shiner) 22,000 43 40% 307  
Tucson AZ 2005-09-20 Reports do not provide number or all names of priests included in settlement, but Guillen, Barmasse, Gluch, and Rourke were reportedly included (see 1 2 3); diocese listed 34 accused (including 1 nun and 3 order priests) as of 12/15/04 22,200 45 40% 296 Settlement trust in backruptcy protection. Number of suviviors is an estimate.
Fairbanks AK - Jesuits 2007-11-16 12 Jesuit priests and three volunteers 50,000 110 40% 273  
Covington KY 2006-01-09 35 priests (as of 6/4/05) 79,082 243 22% 254 Class action settlement. Original 6/3/05 agreement of $120M reduced when fewer survivors came forward than expected. The diocese settled with its self-insurers Catholic Mutual ($40M) and Fireman's Fund ($5M). Awards were to range from $5K to $450K. For extensive information on the class action settlement, see our cached copy of the class action website, with links to documents and articles.
Providence RI 2002-09-09 11 priests (Carpentier, D'Angelo, Desrosiers, Dunn, Lepire, LaMountain, Marcantonio, Meglio, Micarelli, O'Connell, and Silva) and 1 nun (Sr. Mary Claudine) 13,500 36 40% 225 For secrecy and the mediation process, see the Agreement to Mediate from the Providence settlement, submitted as an exhibit in a subsequent court filing (R.I. Supreme Court M 03 244, Exhibit E 22) and hence a part of the public record. Fee is actual/stated.
Oregon Province of the Jesuits 2011-03-25 Names of priests not announced. 166,100 500 40% 199 Settlement in bankruptcy. The province will pay $48.1 million and Safeco, their insurer, will pay $118 million. About $6 million from the settlement will go into a pool for future claims.
Spokane WA 2007-01-05 The names of the priests included in this settlement are not known. See Deal Allows Secrets to Remain, by John Stucke, Spokesman Review (5/4/07) 48,000 150 40% 192 Part of bankruptcy reorganization. $20M from 6 insurers; $18M from sale of chancery and other assets and from contributions; $1M from the 82 parishes. Payments $15K to $1.5 M. Some nonmonetary commitments, including a document release that has been criticized as selective.
Davenport IA 2004-10-28 11 priests (including 5 named priests: Bass, Wiebler, Geerts, Shafer, Janssen) 9,000 37 40% 146  
Davenport IA 2007-12-04   37,000 162 40% 137 Settlement in bankruptcy case. See also this article. Included nonmonetary provisions.
Kansas City-St. Joseph MO 2008-08-19   10,000 47 40% 128 Included nonmonetary provisions.
Covington KY 2003-10-11
6 priests "at least" (including Nienaber, Pilger, Bierman) 5,165 27 27% 115 Amount per victim to be verified.
Paterson NJ 2005-02-15 2 priests (Hanley and Verettoni) 5,000 27 40% 111  
Springfield MA
2004-08-17 19 priests (see partial list) 7,750 46 40% 101  
Boston MA 2003-09-09 140 priests, 2 others 84,250 552 40% 92  
Boston MA 2009-06-30 The archdiocesan report from which the information about these settlements is derived does not name the priests involved. 3,600 27 40% 80 See also the full fiscal year 2009 report, from which the settlement report linked at the left is taken.
Boston MA 2005-06-30 and before The archdiocesan report from which the information about these settlements is derived does not name the priests involved. 33,150 257 40% 77 This is an aggregate figure for Boston settlements before 6/30/05, not including the $10M settlement with Geoghan survivors on 9/18/02 and the $84.25M settlement on 9/9/03. We calculated the aggregate number by subtracting the amounts of those two settlements from the pre-6/30/05 totals of $127.4M and 895 survivors, as provided by the archdiocese in its 4/19/06 report.
Charleston SC 2007-07-30   10,300 80 40% 77 See also the links for the next settlement.
Boston MA (Geoghan) 2002-09-18 1 (Geoghan) 10,000 86 40% 70  
Manchester NH 2003-05-22 23 priests 6,500 61 40% 64 As of this settlement,
Louisville KY 2003-06-10 34 priests and 5 workers (including Miller, Wood, and Clark) 25,700 243 40% 63  
Boston MA 2008-06-30 The archdiocesan report from which the information about these settlements is derived does not name the priests involved. 5,475 55 40% 60 See also the full fiscal year 2008 report, from which the settlement report linked at the left is taken.
Manchester NH 2002-11-26 29 priests and 2 lay men (three names were withheld; others were: Aime Boisselle, Ronald Corriveau, Alfred Jannetta, Gerard Chalifour, Robert Densmore, Edmond Lemire, Leo Landry, Paul Groleau, Alfred Lapoint, Daniel Osgood, Wilfred Bombadier, Richard Connors, Alfred Constant, Karl Dowd, Mark Gauthier, Gerald Joyal, Francis Lamothe, Harvey Lamothe, Maurice Leclerc, Paul Aube, Albert Boulanger, Albion Bulger, Joseph Maquire, Stephen Scruton, Leo Shea, Francis Talbot, Guy Beaulieu, and Mr. Gerry Dane) 5,074 62 40% 49  
Fall River MA 1992-12-03 and later 1 (Porter) 8,000 101 40% 48 Original 12/3/92 settlement involved 68 victims, but others subsequently joined.
Springfield MA 2008-12-03 At least 25 priests (see list) 4,500 59 40% 46  
Boston MA 2006-06-30 The archdiocesan report from which the information about these settlements is derived does not name the priests involved. 6,383 86 40% 45 The amount and number of survivors are aggregates, as reported in an archdiocesan report. See 88 Victims Accept Offer from Church, by Michael Levenson, Boston Globe (3/10/06). See also the archdiocesan Financial Statements (6/30/2006 and 2005), PDF p. 29.
Fairbanks AK 2010-01-25 26 priests, 3 brothers, 7 nuns, 2 deacons, and 5 laymen (see list of names) 12,300 256 20% 38 Under the plan for reorganization, $9.8M will go into a fund for 256 victims. Another $2.5 million is going to lawyers, accountants, and other professionals. Payments to individuals will be decided case-by-case by a mediator.
Manchester NH 2003-05-22 <

 

2,111 33 40% 38 The report about the 5/22/03 settlement stated that in the past 11 months, 176 abuse cases had been settled for $15,450,000. But we know of 143 cases, settled in four settlements for $13,339,000. This line in the table represents the total cases minus the ones we know.
Boston MA 2007-06-30 The archdiocesan report from which the information about these settlements is derived does not name the priests involved. 2,073 34 40% 37 See also the full fiscal year 2007 report, from which the settlement report linked at the left is taken.
Cincinnati OH 2005-03-08 Number and names of the priests were not released. One day after the payouts from the Archdiocese Claim Resolution Compensation Fund, Archbishop Pilarczyk put three active priests on leave who were included in this settlement: Revs. Stanley Doerger, Michael Paraniuk, and David Vincent. 3,200 120 40% 27  

 

Master List of Settlements and Awards in Chronological Order

BishopAccountability.org has identified specific, mostly large settlements and awards totaling $2.49 billion, paid out by dioceses and religious orders and by their insurers to survivors of sexual abuse by clergy in the United States. These settlements are listed in the table below with links to sources. Note:

• The table includes few of the many smaller settlements under $1 million (less than 1% of the table)

• The table includes few pre-2002 settlements (less than 5% of the table)

Is it possible to estimate the total value of those other settlements?

As part of the John Jay College project, many bishops issued their own reports on abuse 1950-2002, including the settlement costs in those years. We have totaled the settlements in those local John Jay reports. The bishops count almost $750 million in settlements before 2002.

If we add the total of our big table and the bishops' pre-2002 number:

               $2,486,897,033
                +  749,600,189
               $3,236,497,222

we get over $3 billion. This very large number still leaves out the many small settlements done since 2002 but not yet included in our table, as well as any pre-2002 settlements that the bishops didn't include in their John Jay numbers.

Hence the total value of sexual abuse settlements in the United States is well over $3 billion. This $3 billion number far exceeds the dire prediction of Doyle, Peterson, and Mouton in 1985. And $3 billion is certainly an underestimate. Our table shows payouts to 5,048 survivors, only 33% of the 15,235 survivors who the bishops say have come forward.

 

Settlement Date/Year Priests Amount
($000s)
Victims
Fees
Amount
per
Victim
($000s)
Comments
Lafayette LA 1984 to 1986 1 (Gauthe) 5,500 13 40% 254 Total of multiple settlements.
Lafayette LA 1986-02-07 1 (Gauthe) 1,250 1 40% 750 Award in jury trial; $1M for the victim and $250K for his parents.
Lafayette LA 1987-12-11 1 (Gauthe) 1,800 1 40% 1,080 Award in jury trial; $1.55M for the victim and $250K for his parents.
Lafayette LA 1986 to 1990 1 (Gauthe) 9,450 19 40% 298 Calculated from a 1990 total of $18M for payouts to 34 Gauthe victims, less the early settlements and the awards of the 1986 and 1987 trials.
Winona and St. Paul and Minneapolis MN 1990-12-07 1 priest (Adamson) 1,042 1 40% 625 The jury award of $3.5M was reduced by the judge on 4/30/91 to $1.042M in compensatory and punitive damages.
Orange and LA CA 1991-01-15 1 priest (Lenihan) 25 1 40% 15 The dioceses received a letter in 1978 regarding the abuse alleged in this case.
Fall River MA 1992-12-03 and later 1 (Porter) 8,000 101 40% 48 Original 12/3/92 settlement involved 68 victims, but others subsequently joined.
Camden NJ 1993-10 (McGarvey, Shannon, McElroy, Kelly, et al.) 1,800 15 40% 72  
Camden NJ 1990 to 1994-01-11   1,400 4 40% 210 Amount and number of plaintiffs determined by subtracting the numbers for the October 1993 settlement (above) from a total since 1990 also provided in that article.
Altoona-Johnstown PA 1994-04-21 1 priest (Luddy) 2,569 1 40% 1,541 Jury found for plaintiff on 4/21/94; ultimate award of $2.569M in this complex case was $869K in compensatory damages, delay damages, and punitive damages to be paid by Luddy, plus $1.7M in restored punitive damages to be paid by diocese.
Bridgeport CT 1994-06-06 1 priest (Brett) 250 2 40% 75 A redacted copy of this settlement with confidentiality agreement is included in the Rosado documents, Bates 6897-6099. The Connecticut Post dates this settlement to May 1994, using the 5/20/94 date on which the plaintiffs signed the agreement. The effective date is 6/6/94, when Egan signed the document.
Covington KY 1995 1 priest (Bierman) 737 1 40% 442 Jury award.
Santa Rosa & SF CA 1996-03-21 3 (Keegan, O'Shea, Timmons) 2,500 15 40% 100  
New York NY - Jesuits 1997-01-30 1 priest (O'Brien) 25 1 40% 15 See also the settlement agreement and O'Brien's work history.
Bridgeport CT 1997-08-26 1 priest (Brett) 1,000 1 40% 600 Jury award and punitive damages in Martinelli v. Bridgeport. Ultimately settled for an undisclosed amount.
Dallas TX 1998-03-04 1 priest (Kos) 7,500 3 40% 1,500 The 3 survivors represented by Demarest settled for $7.5M. They and the other 8 survivors (see below) were originally awarded $119.6M by a jury on 7/24/97.
Dallas TX 1998-07-10 1 priest (Kos) 23,400 8 40% 1,755 The 8 survivors represented by Turley settled for $23.4M. They and the other 3 survivors (see above) were originally awarded $119.6M by a jury on 7/24/97.
Stockton CA 1998-07-16 1 priest (O'Grady) 7,650 2 40% 2,295 Original jury award on 7/16/98 was $30 million.
St. Louis MO 1999-02-23 1 priest (Gummersbach) 1,200 1 40% 720  
Santa Rosa CA 2000-03-09 1 priest (Kimball) 1,600 4 40% 115 By the terms of this unusual settlement, $500K was allocated to establishing programs to assist survivors. We have assumed that attorney's fees and expenses were calculated from the $1.6M, with the program and the cash payments to the plaintiffs coming out of the balance. There were several nonmonetary provisions as well.
Los Angeles CA 2000-12-04 1 priest (Harris) 5,200 1 40% 3,120 Included nonmonetary provisions.
Bridgeport CT 2001-03-08 6 priests (Pcolka, Federici, Carr, Coleman, Gorecki, and Malloy) 15,000 26 40% 346 The amount of this settlement was not reported at the time, but later articles have stated that it was "about $15 million," a number estimated from the diocesan total of $37.7M from 1953 to 2/15/04, minus the $21M settlement on 10/16/03, and the $250K settlement on 6/6/94. This leaves $450K for other settlements, for which amounts have not been disclosed, including:
• 1/13/89 (O'Connor)
• 1/21/94 (Brett)
• 6/26/95 (Coleman)
• 3/4/98 (O'Connor)
• 3/13/98 (O'Connor)
• 5/24/99 (Federici)
• Summer 1999 (Stubbs, Carr, and Moore)
• 10/21/03 (Moore)
After the 2/15/04 total, settlements were made for undisclosed amounts on:
• 1/18/05 (Castaldo)
• 8/1/06 (Gildea)
On the 3/8/01 settlement, see background article with corrections on Malloy and discussion of Egan's role.
Oklahoma City OK 2001-12 1 priest (Rapp) 5,000 1 40% 3,000  
Tucson AZ 2002-01-30 4 priests (Trupia, Byrne, de la Pierre, and Teta) 14,000 11 40% 764  
Orange and LA CA 2002-04-01 1 priest (Lenihan); 2nd priest (Baird) accused at press conference announcing settlement 1,200 1 40% 720 Suit filed 12/13/01, after plaintiff read interviews about Lenihan. He agreed to request laicization, perhaps as part of the settlement. Orange paid $960K and LA paid the rest. Baird's countersuit was dismissed.
Los Angeles CA 2002-06 1 priest (Hagenbach) 1,500 1 40% 900  
Omaha NE 2002-06-14 1 priest (Herek) 800 1 40% 480 Jury award of $750K to the survivor and $50K to his mother.
Orange CA 2002-08-23 1 priest (Lenihan) 400 1 40% 240  
Los Gatos CA - Jesuits 2002-09-04 3 named Jesuit defendants, 1 priest (Burke) and 2 brothers (Connor and Ellis) 7,500 2 40% 2,250 See also this background article.
Providence RI 2002-09-09 11 priests (Carpentier, D'Angelo, Desrosiers, Dunn, Lepire, LaMountain, Marcantonio, Meglio, Micarelli, O'Connell, and Silva) and 1 nun (Sr. Mary Claudine) 13,500 36 40% 225 For secrecy and the mediation process, see the Agreement to Mediate from the Providence settlement, submitted as an exhibit in a subsequent court filing (R.I. Supreme Court M 03 244, Exhibit E 22) and hence a part of the public record. Fee is actual/stated.
Boston MA 2002-09-18 1 (Geoghan) 10,000 86 40% 70  
Manchester NH 2002-10-10 8 priests 950 16 40% 36  
Manchester NH 2002-11-26 29 priests and 2 lay men (three names were withheld; others were: Aime Boisselle, Ronald Corriveau, Alfred Jannetta, Gerard Chalifour, Robert Densmore, Edmond Lemire, Leo Landry, Paul Groleau, Alfred Lapoint, Daniel Osgood, Wilfred Bombadier, Richard Connors, Alfred Constant, Karl Dowd, Mark Gauthier, Gerald Joyal, Francis Lamothe, Harvey Lamothe, Maurice Leclerc, Paul Aube, Albert Boulanger, Albion Bulger, Joseph Maquire, Stephen Scruton, Leo Shea, Francis Talbot, Guy Beaulieu, and Mr. Gerry Dane) 5,074 62 40% 49  
Boston MA
(Jesuits)
2003-01-09 2 (Talbot and McManus) 5,800 15 40% 232 Settlement mediated by Paul A. Finn and John Tierney. Abuse alleged at B.C. High and a Jesuit residence in Boston, and at Cheverus HS in Portland ME. Payments from $75K to >$1M.
Metuchen NJ 2003-01-29 5 priests 800 10 40% 48  
Camden NJ 2003-03-13 15 priests (including Rigney) 880 23 40% 23  
Manchester NH 2003-05-08 3 priests (names withheld) 815 4 40% 122  
Manchester NH 2003-05-22 23 priests 6,500 61 40% 64 As of this settlement,
Manchester NH 2003-05-22 <

 

2,111 33 40% 38 The report about the 5/22/03 settlement stated that in the past 11 months, 176 abuse cases had been settled for $15,450,000. But we know of 143 cases, settled in four settlements for $13,339,000. This line in the table represents the total cases minus the ones we know.
Louisville KY 2003-06-10 34 priests and 5 workers (including Miller, Wood, and Clark) 25,700 243 40% 63  
San Bernardino CA 2003-06-30 1 priest (Ball) 4,200 2 40% 1,260 On 10/15/03, a judge ordered Ball to pay the plaintiffs $26M; it appears unlikely that he will be able to do so.
Chicago IL 2003-07-01 1 priest (McCaffrey) 1,900 1 40% 1,140  
Chicago IL 2003-07-10 1 priest (McCaffrey) 4,000 4 40% 600  
Tucson AZ 2003-08-14 1 lay teacher (Speers) 1,800 5 40% 216  
Boston MA 2003-09-09 140 priests, 2 others 84,250 552 40% 92 See the text of the "Memorandum of Understanding" and the "Settlement Agreement & Arbitration Agreement".
Seattle WA 2003-09-11 1 priest (McGreal) 7,870 15 40% 315  
Chicago IL 2003-10-02 11 priests (Snieg, Cloutier, Ruge, Becker, Buck, Hagan, Huppenbauer, Keough, Kissane, Maday, and Skriba) 8,000 15 40% 320  
Covington KY 2003-10-11
6 priests "at least" (including Nienaber, Pilger, Bierman) 5,165 27 27% 115 Amount per victim to be verified.
Bridgeport CT 2003-10-16 16 priests (Gorecki, Grady, Bietighofer, DeShan, Federici, Donovan, Pcolka, Stubbs, Bonaszek, Coleman, Gray, McGoldrick, Morrissey, Veich, Albeke, and Ryan) 21,000 40 40% 315 "All settlements prior to the latest one total $16.7 million and involve 47 claims of sexual abuse of a minor."
Oakland CA
2003-11-24 1 priest (Freitas) 1,050 1 40% 630 Freitas is to pay $16M; his ability to do so is in doubt.
Covington KY 2003-12-04 Number and names of all priests not reported (included Holtz) 1,000 5 40% 120 This settlement included the lead plaintiff in an ongoing class action ultimately settled on 1/9/06. That plaintiff accused Holtz. The $1M is approximated by comparing the article linked at the left, which provides a running total, with an article about the previous 10/11/03 settlement for $5.165.
Bridgeport CT 2004 2 priests (Msgr. William Genuario and Msgr. Frank Wissel) 40 2 40% 24  
Oakland CA 2004-01-23 1 priest (Francis) 3,050 1 40% 1,830  
Covington KY 2004-01-28 Number and names of priests not reported. 2,000 7 40% 171 The $2M is approximated by comparing the article linked at the left, which provides a running total, with the previous 10/11/03 settlement for $5.165, and the 12/4/02 settlement for approximately $1M.
St. Petersburg FL 2004-04-15 1 priest (Schaeufele) 1,075 12 40% 54  
St. Louis MO 2004-04-21 1 priest (Wolken) 1,675 1 40% 1,005  
Altoona-Johnstown PA
2004-05-27 Priests and a school teacher. 3,710 21 40% 106  
Toledo OH 2004-07-03 1 priest (Rev. Bernard Kokocinski) 500 2 40% 150 Amount is estimated from the $150K that one of the survivors received. We estimate that the settlement amount before attorney's fees was $250K, and that the other survivor received the same award. Settlement included five nonmonetary provisions, one of which was not fulfilled properly.
Springfield MA
2004-08-17 19 priests (see partial list) 7,750 46 40% 101  
Toledo OH
2004-08-20 Number and names of priests not included in news reports. 1,190 23 40% 31 Diocesan self-insurance covered this settlement; see article. One of the 23 survivors might have opted out of the settlement.
St. Louis MO 2004-08-26 5 priests (McGrath, Ferraro, Yim, Anderson, Kuchar) and 1 nun (Fischer) 2,000 18 40% 67  
Miami FL 2004-09-22 5 priests (Garcia-Rubio, Guichard, Castellanos, Cinesi, Huck) 3,400 23 40% 89  
Newark NJ 2004-10-08 9 priests 1,000 10 40% 60  
Davenport IA 2004-10-28 11 priests (including 5 named priests: Bass, Wiebler, Geerts, Shafer, Janssen) 9,000 37 40% 146  
Orange CA 2004-12-02 31 priests, 10 lay personnel, 2 nuns, and 1 brother 100,000 91 40% 659 Diocesan files were released as part of the settlement.
Seattle WA
2004-12-17 2 priests (McGreal and Jaeger) 1,800 12 40% 90  
Oakland CA
2004-12-23 3 brothers 6,300 3 40% 1,260  
Paterson NJ 2005-02-15 2 priests (Hanley and Verettoni) 5,000 27 40% 111  
Cincinnati OH 2005-03-08 Number and names of the priests were not released. One day after the payouts from the Archdiocese Claim Resolution Compensation Fund, Archbishop Pilarczyk put three active priests on leave who were included in this settlement: Revs. Stanley Doerger, Michael Paraniuk, and David Vincent. 3,200 120 40% 27  
Oakland CA 2005-03-24 1 priest (Pritchard) 437 1 40% 262 Jury award.
Fort Worth TX 2005-03-31 1 priest (Teczar) 1,400 1 40% 840  
Fairbanks AK-Jesuits 2005-04-07 1 priest (Poole) 1,000 1 40% 600  
Fort Worth TX 2005-04-09 1 priest (Teczar) 2,750 1 40% 1,650  
Oakland CA 2005-04-15 1 priest (Ponciroli) 1,930 2 40% 579  
San Francisco CA 2005-04-20 1 priest (Joseph Pritchard) 5,800 4 40% 870 Jury award.
Santa Rosa CA 2005-04-22 1 priest (Donald Kimball) 3,300 1 40% 1,980  
Orlando & St. Augustine FL
2005-05 2 priests (Uhran and Reason) 1,500 3 40% 300  
Davenport IA 2005-05-09 1 priest (Janssen) 1,892 1 40% 1,135 Jury ordered Janssen to pay $632K in punitive damages and $1.26M in other damages.
Stockton CA 2005-05-19 1 priest (Oliver O'Grady) 3,000 1 40% 1,800  
San Francisco CA 2005-06-10 5 priests (Pritchard, Noia, Arthur Harrison, Murnig, and Ingels) 21,200 15 40% 848  
Seattle WA 2005-06-10 2 priests ( Moffat and Boyle) 1,700 4 40% 255  
Sacramento CA 2005-06-29 10 (Lynch, Boyle, Moreno, Garcia, Urbina, Brady, Henson, Mennis, Blanco, and one unnamed) 35,000 33 40% 636 Settled one day before civil trial of Blanco was set to begin. Insurers covered <50%. Minimum pre-fee payout was $400K; maximum was $4.25M.
Boston MA 2005-06-30 and before The archdiocesan report from which the information about these settlements is derived does not name the priests involved. 33,150 257 40% 77 This is an aggregate figure for Boston settlements before 6/30/05, not including the $10M settlement with Geoghan survivors on 9/18/02 and the $84.25M settlement on 9/9/03. We calculated the aggregate number by subtracting the amounts of those two settlements from the pre-6/30/05 totals of $127.4M and 895 survivors, as provided by the archdiocese in its 4/19/06 report.
Santa Rosa CA 2005-07-01 3 priests (Gleeson, Kimball, and Timmons) 7,300 8 40% 548  
San Francisco CA 2005-07-08 1 priest (Pritchard) 16,000 12 40% 800  
Oakland CA 2005-08-05 Reports do not provide the number or all names of priests in the settlement, but included were 2 claims of abuse by Ponciroli and 4 claims of abuse by Kiesle. 56,000 56 40% 600 See also other articles on the settlement and the funding of this settlement.
Seattle WA - Benedictines 2005-08-27 1 priest (Forrester) 2,600 7 40% 223 As of this settlement, "The Seattle Archdiocese has now settled 197 such claims for $19.6 million since the late 1980s."
San Francisco CA 2005-09-02 1 priest (O'Shea) 4,000 4 40% 600  
Tucson AZ 2005-09-20 Reports do not provide number or all names of priests included in settlement, but Guillen, Barmasse, Gluch, and Rourke were reportedly included (see 1 2 3); diocese listed 34 accused (including 1 nun and 3 order priests) as of 12/15/04 22,200 45 40% 296 Settlement trust in backruptcy protection. Number of suviviors is an estimate.
San Francisco CA
2005-10-11 1 priest (O'Shea) 2,600 2 40% 780  
Hartford CT 2005-11-01 14 priests (Przybylo, Muha, Buckley, Ferguson, Graham, Reardon, Glynn, Maguire, Crowley, Paul, McSheffery, Paturzo, Foley, Shiner) 22,000 43 40% 307  
Covington KY 2006-01-09 Number and names of priests not reported. 2,500 19 40% 79 The Covington diocese settled claims outside the 1/9/06 class action settlement (see below), as announced on 10/11/03, 12/4/03, 1/28/04, and 1/9/06 (this batch of settlements, confirmed in a statement by Carrie Huff, attorney for the diocese). The amount and number of survivors can be determined by comparing the latest running total with the previous ones.
Covington KY 2006-01-09 35 priests (as of 6/4/05) 79,082 243 22% 254 Class action settlement. Original 6/3/05 agreement of $120M reduced when fewer survivors came forward than expected. The diocese settled with its self-insurers Catholic Mutual ($40M) and Fireman's Fund ($5M). Awards were to range from $5K to $450K. For extensive information on the class action settlement, see our cached copy of the class action website, with links to documents and articles.
Dubuque IA 2006-02-21 9 priests (Carman, Goltz, McElliot, Olinger, Peters, Reiss, Roach, Schmitz, and Schwartz) 5,000 20 40% 150 Archdiocese also agreed to pay for therapy for the victims and their spouses (up to 12 sessions in 2006), list the priests on its official Web site, allow victims to speak at the parish, and have Archbishop Hanus make public and private apologies.
Los Angeles CA - Franciscans 2006-03-13 10 priests and brothers (including Cimmarusti, Van Handel, Krumm, and Cabot) 28,000 25 40% 672  
Jackson MS 2006-03-16 Priests include Broussard, Kirchner, and Haddican 5,100 19 40% 161 Included nonmonetary provisions.
Seattle WA 2006-04-01
1 priest (Cornelius) 1,000 2 40% 300  
Boston MA 2006-06-30 The archdiocesan report from which the information about these settlements is derived does not name the priests involved. 6,383 86 40% 45 The amount and number of survivors are aggregates, as reported in an archdiocesan report. See 88 Victims Accept Offer from Church, by Michael Levenson, Boston Globe (3/10/06). See also the archdiocesan Financial Statements (6/30/2006 and 2005), PDF p. 29.
Anchorage AK and Boston MA 2006-08-04 1 priest (Murphy) 1,400 5 40% 168 The Missionary Society of St. James the Apostle was also included in the settlement.
Milwaukee WI 2006-09-01 2 priests (Becker and Widera) 16,650 10 40% 999  
Davenport IA 2006-09-18 1 priest (Feeney) 1,537 1 40% 922  
Los Angeles CA - Carmelites 2006-10-27 1 priest (Savino) 10,000 7 40% 857  
Norwich CT 2006-11-30 1 priest (Primavera) 1,100 1 40% 660  
Los Angeles CA 2006-12-01 7 priests active during Mahony's time in LA (Baker, Henry, Rodriguez, Wempe; and Dober, Martini, and Orellana, whom the archdiocese previously cleared) 60,000 45 40% 800  
Washington DC 2006-12-16 8 priests (Hartel, Lavin, Schaeffer, Smith, Pritchard, Finan, Petrella, and Callahan) 1,300 16 40% 49  
Spokane WA 2007-01-05 The names of the priests included in this settlement are not known. See Deal Allows Secrets to Remain, by John Stucke, Spokesman Review (5/4/07) 48,000 150 40% 192 Part of bankruptcy reorganization. $20M from 6 insurers; $18M from sale of chancery and other assets and from contributions; $1M from the 82 parishes. Payments $15K to $1.5 M. Some nonmonetary commitments, including a document release that has been criticized as selective.
Denver CO 2007-01-05 2 priests (White and Abercrombie) 1,580 15 40% 63  
Seattle WA - Irish Christian Brothers 2007-02-07 1 brother (Courtney) 1,900 5 40% 228  
Dubuque IA 2007-03-27 6 priests (McElliot, Schwartz, Brickle, Patnode, Devenney, and Schmitt) 2,600 9 40% 173  
Fairbanks AK and Oregon Province of Jesuits 2007-03-29 1 priest (Rev. James E. Jacobson SJ) 1,960 4 40% 294  
Portland OR 2007-04-17 It is difficult to establish what clerics and others were included. But see Claims in Court Far Outnumber Church Listing, by Ashbel S. Green and Steve Woodward, The Oregonian (11/12/06). 71,450 169 19% 342 Of the $71.45M, $40.7 was to go to 146 claimants, with the remaining $13.75M allocated to 26 unsettled claims and $17M to attorneys. Up to $20M would be made available for future claims. Insurance would pay $51.75M, with the archdiocese paying the rest, up to a maximum of $39.7M. Unsettled claims and document release were agreed 4/17/07. Document release on 6/6/07 was meager. The State of Oregon settled separately for $1.05M with 14 alleged Sprauer victims who were also included in the settlement with the archdiocese.
Rockford IL 2007-05-10 1 priest (Campobello) 2,200 2 40% 660  
Portland OR 2007-05-16 1 priest (Sprauer) 1,385 2 40% 416 Jury award holding Sprauer and the state financially liable for damages. Award includes $100K in punitive damages.
Rockville Centre NY 2007-05-18 1 lay music minister (Maiello) 11,450 2 40% 3,435 Verdict in a civil trial.
Chicago IL 2007-05-29 12 priests (Fitzharris, Mayer, Craig, Kissane, Huppenbauer, Maday, McCaffrey, O'Brien, Ruge, Becker, Kmak, and McNamara) 6,650 15 40% 266  
Boston MA 2007-06-30 The archdiocesan report from which the information about these settlements is derived does not name the priests involved. 2,073 34 40% 37 See also the full fiscal year 2007 report, from which the settlement report linked at the left is taken.
Los Angeles CA 2007-07-14 221 priests, brothers, lay teachers and other church employees 660,000 508 40% 780 The archdiocese committed to release documents as part of the settlement but as yet has not.
Charleston SC 2007-07-30   10,300 80 40% 77 See also the links for the next settlement.
Charleston SC 2007-08-30   1,375 11
(5 victims and 6 parents)
40% 75 See also Diocese, Victims Settle, by Adam Parker, Post and Courier (9/15/07) and the related settlement above.
San Diego CA 2007-09-07   198,100 144 40% 825 Settlement in bankruptcy.
San Bernardino CA 2007-09-07 8 priests 15,100 11 40% 824  
Santa Rosa CA 2007-09-13 1 priest (Ochoa-Perez) 5,020 10 40% 301  
Orange CA 2007-10-05 4 lay employees (Andrade, Stukenholtz, Seckman, and Schildknecht) 6,685 4 40% 1,003  
St. Louis MO - Marianists
2007-10-19 1 brother (Mueller) 160 1 40% 96  
Fairbanks AK - Jesuits 2007-11-16 12 Jesuit priests and three volunteers 50,000 110 40% 273  
Davenport IA 2007-12-04   37,000 162 40% 137 Settlement in bankruptcy case. See also this article. Included nonmonetary provisions.
Spokane WA - Jesuits 2008-01-04 1 priest (Morse) and 1 brother (Gates) 4,800 16 40% 180  
Wilmington DE 2008-01-18 1 priest (Smith) 450 1 40% 270 Settlement with Wilmington diocese; does not include Norbertine order. Jury previously awarded $41M to the plaintiff, $6 million in compensatory damages and $35 million in punitive damages, to be paid by Smith.
Dubuque IA 2008-04-10 9 priests (Reed, Wendling, Swift, DeVenney, Saunders, Goltz, Reiss, Schmitt, Carman) 4,700 18 40% 157 The church will pay for up to 12 continuing therapy sessions per victim and grant each victim a private interview with Archbishop Jerome Hanus. The church also will update its Table of Accused Priests, and remove photos and names of the accused priests from public display in its facilities.
Burlington VT 2008-05-13 1 priest (Paquette) 784 1 40% 470 Jury award of $950K in compensatory damages and $7.75M in punitive damages.
Los Angeles CA - Salesians 2008-05-14 1 priest (Miani) 19,500 17 40% 688  
Boston MA 2008-06-30 The archdiocesan report from which the information about these settlements is derived does not name the priests involved. 5,475 55 40% 60 See also the full fiscal year 2008 report, from which the settlement report linked at the left is taken.
Denver CO 2008-07-01 3 priests (White, Abercrombie, St. Peter) 5,500 18 40% 183 See also Church Settles 18 Suits, by Electa Draper, Denver Post, July 2, 2008.
Chicago IL 2008-08-12 11 priests (Becker, Bennett, Craig, Hagan, Kelly, Maday, Mayer, McCormack, Owens, Ruge, Steel) 12,675 16 40% 475 Depositions by George and later Goedert were released under the nonmonetary provisions of this ongoing settlement. See also other articles.
Kansas City-St. Joseph MO 2008-08-19   10,000 47 40% 128 Included nonmonetary provisions. See also a useful article on these nonmonetary terms.
Belleville IL 2008-08-27 1 priest (Kownacki) 5,000 1 40% 3,000 Jury verdict in civil trial: $2.4M in compensatory damages and $2.6M in punitive damages. Verdict upheld 10/31/08. Diocese filed notice of appeal on 11/26/08.
Providence RI 2008-08-29   1,300 4 40% 195  
Chicago IL 2008-09-11   2,500 1 40% 1,500  
Chicago IL 2008-09-18   1,650 1 40% 990  
Pueblo CO - Marianists 2008-10-30 1 brother (Mueller) 4,200 23 40% 110 In August 2010, a judge ordered Mueller to pay one of his victims $500K. We have not included that court order in this table's total.
Seattle WA - Christian Bros 2008-11   7,150 11 40% 390  
Springfield MA 2008-12-03 At least 25 priests (see list) 4,500 59 40% 46  
Burlington VT 2008-12-17 1 priest (Paquette) 784 1 40% 470 Jury awarded $192,500 in compensatory damages and $3.4M in punitive damages. Victim offered to use money to finance Catholic educations in diocese if the diocese takes certain actions. Diocese has appealed.
Seattle WA - Christian Bros 2009-01-29   7,000 13 40% 323  
Memphis TN 2009-02-28   2,000 1 40% 1,200  
Wilmington DE 2009-04-08 1 priest (Rev. Edward Carley) 1,500 1 40% 900 Nonmonetary terms of the settlement included letters of apology that were not sent.
Monterey CA 2009-06-03 2 priests (Guillen and Velez) 1,200 1 40% 720 This settlement was reached with a survivor who had previously been compensated in the Tucson bankruptcy.
Boston MA 2009-06-30 The archdiocesan report from which the information about these settlements is derived does not name the priests involved. 3,600 27 40% 80 See also the full fiscal year 2009 report, from which the settlement report linked at the left is taken.
Chicago IL 2009-07-21   3,900 6 40% 390 Depositions of Goedert, and of George previously, were released under the terms of this ongoing settlement. See also other articles.
Burlington VT 2009-10-09 1 priest (Paquette) 784 1 40% 470  
Belleville IL 2009-10-22 1 priest (Kownacki) 1,200 1 40% 720  
Savannah GA 2009-10-28 1 priest (Rev. Wayland Y. Brown) 4,240 1 40% 2,544 In addition to the $4.24M settlement, the survivor had previously received $200K for therapy, which is not included in this table.
Portland ME 2009-11-05 1 priest (Rev. James Vallely) 200 1 40% 120  
Fairbanks AK 2010-01-25 26 priests, 3 brothers, 7 nuns, 2 deacons, and 5 laymen (see list of names) 12,300 256 20% 38 Under the plan for reorganization, $9.8M will go into a fund for 256 victims. Another $2.5 million is going to lawyers, accountants, and other professionals. Payments to individuals will be decided case-by-case by a mediator.
Indianapolis IN 2010-05-03 1 priest (Rev. Harry Monroe) 199 1 40% 119 Archdiocese agreed to settle two weeks before trial. Settlement also includes nonmonetary commitments.
Burlington VT 2010-05-13 Paquette and others 17,650 26 40% 407  
Charlotte NC and Capuchins 2010-06-10 1 priest (Rev. Robert Yurgel) 1,230 1 40% 738 Settled for $1M plus therapy and medication costs, after extensive discovery, including 25 depositions and production of more than 40,000 pages of documents. See article. Capuchins then paid $230K to plaintiff in order to resolve disputed and contested claims.
Lansing MI 2010-08-11 1 priest (Msgr. John Slowey) 250 1 40% 150  
Wilmington DE 2011-02-02 Names of priests not announced. 77,425 150 40% 310 Pending approval of judge, with contribution of religious orders yet to be determined
Oregon Province of the Jesuits 2011-03-25 Names of priests not announced. 166,100 500 40% 199 Settlement in bankruptcy. The province will pay $48.1 million and Safeco, their insurer, will pay $118 million. About $6 million from the settlement will go into a pool for future claims.
TOTALS     $2,486,897,033
5,679   $268,466
average

Source: News articles and diocesan documents; see links. We use 40 percent for attorneys' fees and expenses, unless the sources provide a different number.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

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