Court settlement approved for New Orleans Archdiocese to pay hundreds of clergy abuse victims

NEW ORLEANS — The New Orleans Archdiocese will pay at least $230 million to hundreds of victims of clergy sexual abuse under a settlement approved Monday by a federal judge that follows years of negotiations

NEW ORLEANS — The New Orleans Archdiocese will pay at least $230 million to hundreds of victims of clergy sexual abuse under a settlement approved Monday by a federal judge that follows years of negotiations.

Richard Trahant, an attorney representing victims in the case, and a spokesperson for the archdiocese both confirmed approval of the settlement to The Associated Press by U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Meredith Grabill.

Earlier this month, some of the survivors behind the more than 500 abuse claims testified in court, saying they are still affected decades later by the painful memories they shared publicly. The archdiocese had filed for bankruptcy in May 2020 rather than handle each abuse claim separately. Survivors noted that doing so enabled church leadership to avoid tougher questions they would have to face in court.

Some recalled battling substance abuse, struggling with intimacy and wondering whether they themselves were to blame for what happened. Some said they forgave the church, while others could not.

In her testimony, Kathleen Austin recalled being abused hundreds of times as a child and watching the perpetrator continue in a role within the Catholic Church even after its leadership knew what he was doing. She expressed skepticism that the church would hold clergy accountable in the future given how much she said it resisted responding to her experiences.