A federal bankruptcy judge has again blocked 36 people who say they were sexually abused from pressing ahead with Child Victims Act lawsuits against Catholic parishes and schools, the Buffalo (N.Y.) News reported. Chief Judge Carl L. Bucki of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Western District said in a written ruling this week that allowing the state litigation to move forward “would become an inherent distraction that promises to complicate negotiations” among the parties involved in the Diocese of Buffalo bankruptcy reorganization. Judge Bucki agreed with the diocese’s request to extend an injunction prohibiting litigation by 36 plaintiffs against parishes and schools until next August. He also ruled that the plaintiffs were free to continue litigating against individuals who may have abused. The diocese’s lawyers had argued that if any CVA cases against parishes and schools advanced in the state courts, it would inevitably involve the diocese in costly litigation and drain assets that otherwise would be used in settling with childhood sex abuse victims. Judge Bucki acknowledged that the diocese’s bankruptcy case was “extremely complicated,” with more than 900 people seeking damages for abuse claims and continuing litigation within the proceedings over the scope of insurance coverage for more than 5,000 policies issued by at least 70 carriers.
