September 4, 2019 / by Brett Katsma / Catholic Church Sexual Abuse
In August 2019, New York legislature enacted a new law that gave survivors of childhood sexual abuse a one-year window to file a lawsuit against their abusers. Already, over 500 cases have been filed with the state and experts estimate that thousands of lawsuits are on the way. Advocates, including attorneys, for the victims believe that justice is needed in the form of being heard by the public, recognition of the abuse, and financial compensation. Melissa Breger, a professor at the Albany (NY) Law School, agrees, “I think for a lot of these folks, it’s validation that, ‘Yes, what happened to me was wrong and the fact that I was a child and could not do anything about it is being understood now and I can now seek redress as an adult.” Ms. Breger also previously worked with domestic violence victims and victims of childhood abuse.
Read more
Hadden Survivors Reached $235 Million Settlement with Hospitals; Still Time for Others
May 10, 2023 / by Christina Feeney / Sexual Abuse & Assault Lawsuits
In 2022, both Columbia University Irving Medical Center and New York-Presbyterian Hospital reached a combined $165 million settlement with almost 150 women who were sexually abused by former OBGYN Robert Hadden. This agreement follows a $71.5 million combined settlement in 2021 between the hospitals and 79 of Hadden’s survivors. A compensation fund was established to […]
Read more
Former OBGYN Robert Hadden Served No Jail Time Despite Guilty Plea in 2016
April 12, 2023 / by Christina Feeney / Sexual Abuse & Assault Lawsuits
In 2015, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office prosecuted Robert Hadden, an OBGYN accused of sexually abusing several patients. One woman told prosecutors she was 30-weeks pregnant when Hadden assaulted her. According to court records, the District Attorney’s Office had 18 other women willing to testify they suffered similar assaults at the hands of Hadden over […]
Read more
Disgraced OBGYN Robert Hadden Convicted, Civil Remedy for Victims Still Possible
April 12, 2023 / by Christina Feeney / Sexual Abuse & Assault Lawsuits
In late January of this year, a jury took less than a day to convict former Columbia University OBGYN Robert Hadden of federal sex trafficking charges. Hadden’s two-week criminal trial included testimony from nine former patients who described how the former OBGYN sexually abused them during appointments. Prosecutors said federal charges were appropriate because Hadden […]
Read more
Victims of former OBGYN, Robert Hadden, Can Still Have Their Day in Court
March 30, 2023 / by Christina Feeney / Sexual Abuse & Assault Lawsuits
In January of this year, several ex-patients testified at former Columbia University OBGYN Robert Hadden’s criminal trial where he was charged with persuading women to cross state lines for the purpose of sexually abusing them. Their stories of abuse span a 20-year period and include both adults and minors. The women shared intimate details with […]
Read more
Albany Diocese Seeks to Pause Litigation with Sexual Abuse Survivors
September 16, 2022 / by Christina Feeney / Catholic Church Sexual Abuse
Attorneys for more than 400 clergy sexual abuse survivors in Albany, New York, denied the diocese’s request to pause litigation . . .
Read more
Ruling Allows Rochester Abuse Survivors to Sue Diocese
June 23, 2022 / by Christina Feeney / Catholic Church Sexual Abuse
A ruling by a federal bankruptcy judge will allow clergy sexual abuse survivors to move forward with lawsuits against the Diocese of Rochester.
Read more
NY Governor Signs Adult Survivors Act into Law
June 17, 2022 / by Christina Feeney / Sexual Abuse & Assault Lawsuits
New York Governor Kathy Hochul recently signed into law the Adult Survivors Act. Similar to the state’s 2019 Child Victims Act, the law opens up a one-year revival window for adult survivors of sexual assault.
Read more
Diocese of Albany Adds Priest to Credibly Accused List
May 26, 2022 / by Christina Feeney / Catholic Church Sexual Abuse
The Diocese of Albany recently added retired priest Father Gregory Weider for “reasonable cause” to its list of priests credibly accused of sexual abuse.
Read more
Leaked Transcript Uncovers Real Motive Behind NY’s Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program
April 30, 2021 / by Brett Katsma / Catholic Church Sexual Abuse
In 2016, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, leader of the Archdiocese of New York, introduced the Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program as a way to compensate victims of clergy sex abuse, and according to the church, “promote healing” and “bring closure” to the sexual abuse crisis ailing the Catholic Church.
Read more
Diocese of Brooklyn Sued by Insurer Over Sex Abuse Claims
April 16, 2021 / by Brett Katsma / Catholic Church Sexual Abuse
The Catholic Church’s past history of covering up childhood sexual abuse claims has led to another lawsuit being filed, this time by one of its insurers. Arrowood Indemnity Company, an insurance company that covers the Diocese of Brooklyn, has filed a lawsuit asking the court to rule that it not be held responsible for defending or indemnifying the Diocese against sexual abuse claims.
Read more
Buffalo Diocese Sued By New York Attorney General Following Two-Year Investigation
March 24, 2021 / by Brett Katsma / Catholic Church Sexual Abuse
After a two-year investigation, New York Attorney General Letitia James sued the Diocese of Buffalo, alleging it covered up allegations of child sexual abuse and misused charitable assets by supporting predatory priests instead of following protocol and reporting them to authorities. Former Bishop Richard Malone and former Auxiliary Bishop Edward Grosz were also named as defendants in the lawsuit.
Read more
Deadline Set for Filing Clergy Abuse Claims Against Diocese of Buffalo
January 25, 2021 / by Brett Katsma / Catholic Church Sexual Abuse
Chief Judge Carl L. Bucki of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Western District of New York set the bar date for victims with claims of sexual abuse against the Diocese of Buffalo at August 14, 2021. A bar date is the date by which creditors (victims) need to submit proof of a claim. This means that victims have until August 14, 2021 to submit a claim against the Diocese of Buffalo in federal bankruptcy proceedings. The diocese will be required to notify the public of the August 2021 bar date via notices through mailings, publications, and postings.
Read more
New York’s Child Victims Act Extended – Again
October 30, 2020 / by Brett Katsma / Sexual Abuse & Assault Lawsuits
For the second time since the law was initially passed in 2019, New York’s Child Victims Act (“CVA”) has been extended, providing more time for child sex abuse survivors to pursue legal claims, both criminally and civilly. The extension moves the new deadline to August 14, 2021.
Read more
Lawyers Battle to Properly Value Dozens of Buffalo Diocese’s Properties
October 21, 2020 / by Brett Katsma / Catholic Church Sexual Abuse
The Diocese of Buffalo filed for bankruptcy in February of this year in the wake of mounting clergy sexual abuse claims. The diocese opted for bankruptcy protection after seeing no other viable option to continue operating given the potential total future obligations the pending sexual abuse lawsuits could entail. The diocese continues to believe that bankruptcy doesn’t hurt abuse survivors, but only helps them by creating a compensation process that equally divides up funds among all abuse survivors, instead of favoring those who filed first.
Read more
Multiple Clergy Abuse Lawsuits Filed against the Diocese of Ogdensburg New York
September 24, 2020 / by Brett Katsma / Catholic Church Sexual Abuse
The Diocese of Ogdensburg was named in 20 lawsuits claiming clergy sexual abuse. Of those 20 filings, 7 new clergy members have been publicly identified for the first time. According to the Diocese of Ogdensburg website, since August 2019, 71 clergy sexual abuse lawsuits have been filed against the Diocese.
Read more
Diocese of Syracuse Files for Bankruptcy Amid Growing Sexual Abuse Lawsuits
August 21, 2020 / by Brett Katsma / Catholic Church Sexual Abuse
In June, the Diocese of Syracuse filed a petition for reorganization through Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. In a June 19, 2020 letter, Bishop Douglas J. Lucia noted he had authorized the filing and the case would be before the United States Bankruptcy Court in the Northern District of New York.
Read more
Diocese of Albany Hit with Multiple Clergy Abuse Lawsuits
August 13, 2020 / by Brett Katsma / Catholic Church Sexual Abuse
The Diocese of Albany will soon have to review more than 50 new clergy sexual abuse allegations dating back 60 years. New York’s Child Victims Act, which was extended, has paved the way for survivors of childhood clergy abuse in New York to hold New York’s Catholic Dioceses accountable.
Read more
Clergy Sexual Abuse Lawsuits – Delays Expected in Buffalo
May 18, 2020 / by Brett Katsma / Catholic Church Sexual Abuse
Victims of clergy sexual abuse with cases against the Diocese of Buffalo should expect delays in compensation awards. In a January ruling by Judge Deborah A. Chimes, Supreme Court of Erie Country, she noted the particular victim (plaintiff) should receive damages for abuse suffered. However there is a catch causing a delay in getting compensation from the Diocese of Buffalo. The Diocese of Buffalo filed for bankruptcy. This filing effectively paused all lawsuits and legal proceedings against the dioceses.
Read more
Buffalo Diocese Becomes 2nd New York Diocese to File for Bankruptcy
May 13, 2020 / by Brett Katsma / Catholic Church Sexual Abuse
In February of 2020, the Diocese of Buffalo became the second Diocese in New York state to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, after the first filing by the Diocese of Rochester in September of 2019. The church sites the new law passed by New York state’s legislators, dubbed the Child Victims Act, as the reason for bankruptcy filings.
Read more
New York’s Child Victims Act Extended Due To Coronavirus
May 12, 2020 / by Brett Katsma / Catholic Church Sexual Abuse
Senators from New York gathered on Friday to discuss extending the time for victims to file a claim for sexual abuse. The original deadline was set to expire on August 14, 2020 but now, according to Governor Andrew Cuomo, legislators have agreed to extend it to January 14, 2021; giving survivors of childhood sexual abuse an additional five months to file a claim. The senate felt that since court services have been significantly reduced due to the virus, it was only fair to extend the time for these victims.
Read more
Lawsuit Filed Against Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church in Erie County
April 9, 2020 / by Brett Katsma / Catholic Church Sexual Abuse
A childhood victim of priest sex abuse at Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church and Holy Trinity School filed a civil lawsuit in Erie County Supreme Court of New York. This New York Catholic Church lawsuit, filed in September of 2019, was filed against the Diocese of Buffalo and claims Monsignor Valerio Bernardo, a pastor of Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church and Holy Trinity School, abused the plaintiff during the late 1960s when she was about five years old. The plaintiff and her family were parishioners at Holy Trinity Church and she was a student at Holy Trinity School.
Read more
Other States Offer Glimpse of Ways NY’s Abuse Cases Could Play Out
September 4, 2019 / by Brett Katsma / Catholic Church Sexual Abuse
In August 2019, New York legislature enacted a new law that gave survivors of childhood sexual abuse a one-year window to file a lawsuit against their abusers. Already, over 500 cases have been filed with the state and experts estimate that thousands of lawsuits are on the way. Advocates, including attorneys, for the victims believe that justice is needed in the form of being heard by the public, recognition of the abuse, and financial compensation. Melissa Breger, a professor at the Albany (NY) Law School, agrees, “I think for a lot of these folks, it’s validation that, ‘Yes, what happened to me was wrong and the fact that I was a child and could not do anything about it is being understood now and I can now seek redress as an adult.” Ms. Breger also previously worked with domestic violence victims and victims of childhood abuse.
Read more
Survivors of child sexual abuse gear up to file lawsuits against their abusers in New York
August 23, 2019 / by Brett Katsma / Catholic Church Sexual Abuse
As of August 14, 2019 New York survivors of childhood sexual abuse will be given a one-year window to file a lawsuit against their abusers under the new Child Victims Act passed by NY legislature earlier this year. Thousands of cases are expected to be filed with payout estimates to victims in the millions of dollars. Under the new one-year window law, anyone who was abused is eligible to file a claim with a sexual abuse lawyer. Additionally, New York has gone from one of the worst states to one of the best states to file a childhood sexual abuse lawsuit.
Read more
Buffalo Diocese pays $17.5M to 106 clergy sex abuse victims
June 3, 2019 / by Brett Katsma / Catholic Church Sexual Abuse
106 childhood victims of Catholic Church sexual abuse in the Buffalo, NY area have been paid $17.5 million in compensation. The Buffalo, NY diocese has offered a total of 127 settlements with an average award of $158,622 to the sexual abuse victims. The largest settlement offer is $650,000 and due to increasing offers, the diocese’s total cost could end up north of $18 million. The trend is up. In January 2019, Buffalo News reported that the diocese had offered more than $8 million to nearly four dozen people, according to victims and lawyers. That total settlement amount has more than doubled in less than six months.
Read more
More Than 80 Clergy Members Named in Sexual Abuse Report
May 28, 2019 / by Brett Katsma / Catholic Church Sexual Abuse
Three sexual abuse survivors from the Albany, NY area testified in court recently that they were abused by more than 80 clergy members from the Albany Diocese. One woman testified that she was raped and exploited by a man who was a teacher and counselor at Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons High School in Schenectady, NY. Mark Lyman, another sexual abuse survivor that testified, said “Many of us were told when we were being abused that we were the only one. My reason for being here is to protect children and to make sure that what happened to me as a child doesn’t happen to another child here in New York State.” Mr. Lyman has spoken out more than once about the abuse he suffered as a child growing up at his church in Troy, NY.
Read more