The Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse and the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors announced Thursday that they have reached a settlement agreement in the chapter 11 case filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Northern District of New York on June 19, 2020, CNYCentral.com reported. In 2020, there were more than 100 lawsuits filed against the diocese through the Child Victims Act, which allows victims to file civil lawsuits against abusers even if the statute of limitations has passed. The financial impact of the Child Victims Act and the economic downturn of the COVID-19 pandemic led to bankruptcy filing. The Diocese and the Committee believe that this settlement is an important first step in forming a plan that will lead to the Diocese's exit from bankruptcy. The settlement will provide payment in the amount of $100 million to all survivors of sexual abuse for acts perpetrated against them by clergy, religious, lay employees, and volunteers. Although the settlement amount remains subject to a creditor vote and court approval, the dollar figure of the settlement has been accepted by the Official Committee — comprised entirely of individuals who themselves survived sexual abuse when they were children by clergy members and employees within the Diocese of Syracuse.
