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Archdiocese of New York agrees to pay $800 million to settle abuse claims brought by about 1,300 people, NPR reports
The Archdiocese of New York has reached an $800 million deal with about 1,300 people who say clergy and lay workers abused them, NPR reported. The paperwork is not yet signed, but a plaintiffs' lawyer says everyone has agreed.
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What happened
The Archdiocese of New York has agreed to pay $800 million to resolve claims from some 1,300 people, NPR reported Saturday. The claimants say they were sexually abused by clergy members and lay workers of the church.
According to NPR, the settlement ranks among the largest the Catholic church has reached over sexual abuse claims. Both a lawyer for the plaintiffs and the archbishop said an agreement has been reached, though the final documents still need to be signed.
Where the agreement stands
Neither side described the deal as fully executed. Both said the terms are settled and the signatures are still pending.
What the plaintiffs' lawyer said
Jeff Anderson's firm represents more than 250 of the plaintiffs. He told NPR the settlement was finalized, pending signed paperwork, and that every plaintiff had agreed to it.
What the archbishop told priests
Archbishop Ronald Hicks emailed the archdiocese's priests Saturday afternoon, and the message was shared with NPR. In it, he confirmed the deal had not been signed. He also wrote that an agreement had been reached with the plaintiffs and their attorneys.
"We are on the verge of being able to, please God, bring some measure of healing and reconciliation to all victim-survivors," Hicks wrote, according to NPR. He added that the agreement would let the archdiocese turn its full attention back to its religious and charitable mission, including caring for the poor and educating children.
How survivors are reacting
Anderson told NPR that his clients have mixed feelings. They feel sorrow over the abuse they experienced, along with relief that the legal fight is over.
He described the first feeling as "a real sense of relief and achievement." According to Anderson, his clients believe that by coming forward they now have a chance to move forward. He said they also feel they have helped protect others in the future and pushed the archdiocese to clean up.
How the deal compares and how it came together
NPR placed the New York agreement alongside other large church settlements. It also described the steps the archdiocese took in the months before the deal.
The Los Angeles comparison
NPR noted that in 2024, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles agreed to an $880 million settlement with victims of sexual abuse by its clergy. That makes the Los Angeles deal larger than the $800 million New York agreement.
Mediation and fundraising
In December 2025, the Archdiocese of New York agreed to mediation to settle the 1,300 claims, NPR reported. At the time, the archdiocese said it had laid off staff and planned to sell some of its Manhattan properties to raise $300 million to pay survivors.
For more coverage of developments beyond Nevada, see our national news section.
What to watch next
- The signing of the settlement paperwork, which both Anderson and Archbishop Hicks said had not happened as of Saturday.
- Progress on the archdiocese's plan, announced in December 2025, to raise $300 million for survivors, partly by selling some Manhattan properties.
