Clergy and Priest Sex Abuse Lawyers

Our clergy sex abuse lawyers are handling sexual abuse cases by members of the clergy in all 50 states.

If you are a victim, our clergy abuse lawyers are compassionate, and we are here to help. We are based in Maryland but handle these lawsuits nationwide. Call 800-553-8082 or contact us confidentially online.

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News and Updates on Priest Sex Abuse Lawsuits

October 12, 2024 – Catholic Diocese in Vermont Files Bankruptcy

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington (the lone diocese in the state of Vermont) filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Over the last decade, the diocese has paid out around $34 million in settlement compensation to victims of clergy sexual abuse. That number is tiny compared to liabilities faced by other branches of the church, but the Diocese of Burlington has limited financial resources compared to places like Baltimore and Los Angeles. The diocese had already sold assets and properties to pay for the prior settlements.

October 1, 2024 – Catholic Church in Long Island Finalizes $323 Million Settlement

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Rechvill Centre (which is based in Nassau and Suffolk counties in Long Island) agreed to a settlement deal that will pay around $323 million in compensation to a group of over 500 victims who allege that there were sexually abused by church members. The diocese, like so many other around the country, filed for bankruptcy protection back in 2020, so the settlement will need to be formally approved by the bankruptcy court.

September 23, 2024 – New Priest Sex Abuse Lawsuit Against St. Mary’s Seminary

A new clergy sexual abuse lawsuit was filed this week against St. Mary’s Seminary and the Associated Sulpicians. The plaintiff in the lawsuit, Thomas Finnerty, alleges that he was sexually abused for seven years by Father John Banko beginning in the early 1970s. Ironically, Finnerty’s father was a prominent Baltimore attorney who used to represent the Archdiocese of Baltimore as a client. The law firm that Finnerty’s father worked for is still around now, and it is still the primary defense firm that represents the Archdiocese in abuse cases.

August 14, 2024 – Maryland Supreme Court Set to Hear Arguments on Child Victims Act

The Maryland Child Victims Act of 2023 (the “CVA”) was a groundbreaking law that retroactively lifted the statute of limitations for all child sex abuse civil lawsuits. Various parties, including the Archdiocese of Washington and several private schools, are challenging whether the CVA is valid under Maryland’s state constitution. That appeal is now before the Supreme Court of Maryland. Oral arguments are set for September 10, 2024, which means we could have a ruling before the end of the year.

August 5, 2024 – Cardinal O’Malley Retires

Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Cardinal Seán O’Malley as the archbishop of Boston, appointing Bishop Richard Henning of Providence, Rhode Island, as his successor.

Cardinal O’Malley, who has been a key figure in the Church’s response to the clergy sexual abuse crisis, has served in the role since 2003. He was brought in by Pope John Paul II following the major clergy abuse scandal in Boston, where extensive abuse and cover-ups were exposed. At the time, no one fully understood that what was happening in Boston was happening all over the country.

August 1, 2024 – New Clergy Abuse Lawsuit Against Oblates of St. Francis de Sales

A new lawsuit filed in Delaware accuses a Catholic priest of sexually abusing a young girl on Maryland’s Eastern Shore in the 1960s. The plaintiff, a Florida resident, claims that she was assaulted by Reverend George A. Mahoney, a priest who served in Maryland at the time. The case is brought under Maryland’s Child Victims Act of 2023, which lifted the statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse claims, enabling survivors to pursue legal action regardless of when the abuse occurred.

The Oblates of St. Francis de Sales is no stranger to sex abuse allegations and paying settlement in these cases. A significant number of lawsuits have been filed against the Oblates, particularly in Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. There have been many claims involving priests who were accused of sexually abusing minors while serving in various parishes, schools, and other Catholic institutions. Many of these cases involve accusations that the Oblates not only failed to report the abuse but also transferred known offenders to different locations, where they continued to have access to children.

This particular new lawsuit alleges that the organization had prior knowledge of Mahoney’s history of abusing minors. Instead of removing him from positions of power, the complaint states that the Oblates repeatedly transferred him to different parishes, which allowed him to continue accessing and harming children, including the plaintiff. Although the alleged abuse took place in Maryland, the plaintiff filed the lawsuit in Delaware because the Oblates are incorporated there, making it an appropriate jurisdiction for holding the organization accountable.

July 9, 2024 – Maryland Woman Sues Former Church for Sexual Abuse

A woman has sued the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, alleging sexual abuse by Father George Mahoney when she was 10 years old at Our Mother of Sorrows Church in Maryland.

The lawsuit claims the priest assaulted her and another girl in 1960, threatening them with eternal damnation if they spoke out.  Sadly, the woman has struggled with lasting psychological trauma and distrust in men and has lost her faith in the Catholic Church.

The six-count civil lawsuit accuses the Oblates of negligence, fraud, and conspiracy to conceal Mahoney’s abuse, seeking damages for the suffering caused.

June 13, 2024 – Maryland AG’s Clergy Abuse Report Highlights Church Actions

The Maryland Attorney General’s long-awaited report on clergy abuse was both depressing and revealing. The report highlights various actions the church has taken when a priest is credibly accused, such as doing nothing, removing the priest’s faculties, laicizing the priest, or reporting to law enforcement.

Despite its revelations, the report does not include many details. For example, how many clergy were actually prosecuted? The report does not say, but we can all guess: not many.

We all want to know who is to blame. But more importantly, we have to understand what happened so we can prevent it in the future.

June 13, 2024 – Over 700 Abuse Victims File Claims in Baltimore Archdiocese Bankruptcy Case 

Over 700 victims who were sexually abused as children by employees – primarily priests –  of the Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore have filed claims in the church’s bankruptcy case before the recent deadline.

Why the deadline? The archdiocese filed for bankruptcy just before a new state law, which, as we discuss below, eliminates time limits for suing over childhood abuse. The deadline was set as part of the procedural requirements of the bankruptcy process.

The bankruptcy case is now set to involve confidential mediation to resolve disputes between the archdiocese and its insurers and to determine compensation amounts for these sex abuse survivors.

May 28, 2024 – Former Inmate Sues Baltimore Archdiocese for Sexual Abuse 

A former inmate has filed a lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Baltimore and several former and current administrative staff.

The lawsuit, submitted in the church’s bankruptcy case, alleges that Deacon Thomas Kuhl began assaulting him around 1995, offering food or money in exchange for sex and introducing him to heroin to manage his nerves, which ultimately led to a decade-long addiction and abuse.

The plaintiff claims the abuse continued for years as he cycled through prison and sobriety, exacerbating his struggles with addiction and criminal behavior.

May 1, 2024 – Childhood Sexual Abuse Victims Testify in Court 

After decades of attempts, victims of childhood sexual abuse by Baltimore Archdiocese staff finally testified publicly before the Church’s top official. Six victims shared their harrowing stories in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland, detailing brutal abuse, trauma, and threats they endured as Baltimore Archbishop William Lori listened.

The testimony included accounts of repeated rape, physical abuse, and severe threats from priests.

March 28, 2024 – Is Maryland’s Child Victims Act Valid? 

When Maryland passed the Child Victims Act (“CVA”) last year, it was fully expected that the churches (who are primarily impacted by the CVA) would contest the validity of the law under Maryland’s constitution. It was unclear, however, exactly how that process would unfold and how long it would take.

Now it looks like the question of whether the CVA is valid will get decided by the Maryland Supreme Court very soon. A federal judge in Maryland recently announced that he is submitting a certified question to the Maryland Supreme Court regarding the constitutionality of the CVA.

This process should get us an answer much sooner than waiting for the appeal process to play out.

Priest Sex Abuse Lawyers

Recent estimates suggest that there may be thousands of individuals who were the victims of clergy sexual abuse during childhood.

The sexual abuse lawyers at Miller & Zois represent victims who were abused by priests, clergymen, or other church officials. We help these victims hold predators liable and get financial compensation for their suffering. If you were sexually abused as a child by a member of your church or religious organization, we want to hear from you.

About Clergy Sexual Abuse

A wave of investigations over the last decade has uncovered the sad truth about clergy sexual abuse within the Catholic Church and other religious institutions. It is now apparent that the sexual abuse of children by clergymen was a frequent and pervasive problem. It is also evident that the Catholic Church was very much aware of this problem and did almost nothing to stop it. Instead, the church hierarchy made an effort to clean it up.

Most victims were male and under 14, and the abuse was not a one-time thing.

Sexual abuse by a clergy member against young church members can have devastating long-term effects. Victims of clergy sexual abuse offer suffer emotional trauma for the rest of their lives. Until recently, these victims often had little or no effective recourse for this harm.

Recently, however, the increased public attention and awareness have led to significant legal changes designed to give victims the ability to hold their abusers accountable.

Sexual Abuse by Nuns

The issue of nuns as sexual abusers in religious settings is an uncomfortable and often overlooked aspect of clerical abuse. While much of the public discourse and media coverage have historically concentrated on male clergy abuse, there is a growing acknowledgment of sexual misconduct perpetrated by nuns.

These cases challenge the stereotypical image of nuns as purely nurturing and benevolent figures, revealing a darker, more complex picture. Victims, often coming forward years after the abuse, share harrowing stories of how their trust and spiritual devotion were exploited by those sworn to lead by example.

Indeed, our lawyers were slow to pick up the seriousness of this issue. Sexual abuse by nuns is one of the lesser-known facets of clerical abuse. We all have – at least I have – an idealized image of nuns as nurturing figures. This often shielded them from suspicion and accountability.

As awareness grows and changes in legal frameworks in Maryland and elsewhere that allow older cases to be brought to court, our sex abuse attorneys believe we will see more and more of these cases.

Suing Churches for Sex Abuse

Until recently, victims of clergy sexual abuse had no effective legal recourse. Pursuing criminal charges was hit or miss and dependent on the interest and cooperation of state authorities. Bringing a civil lawsuit was often not possible either because the statute of limitations had expired or because the abuser had no assets to go after.

Things are different now. Many states have amended their laws to eliminate or expand the statute of limitations for sexual abuse claims in civil court. Some states, such as New York and New Jersey, have eliminated the statute of limitations in abuse lawsuits.

The increasing amount of evidence showing that church authorities knew about the abuse and sought to cover it up has also made the churches themselves become viable defendants in these cases.

Most of the public attention and focus has been on sexual abuse claims involving the Roman Catholic Church. Although the Catholic Church has been the target of the largest number of sexual abuse lawsuits, clergy sexual abuse claims are not limited to catholic organizations.

Many other religious denominations and organizations have faced claims of clergy sexual abuse. Allegations of sexual abuse within the United Methodist Church and the Southern Baptist Convention have exposed similar problems within these institutions.

Victims of Priest Sexual Abuse Can Sue the Church

Victims of clergy sexual abuse have every right to hold their abusers accountable. There are several different legal options available to victims. Our firm specializes in representing clergy abuse victims in bringing tort lawsuits against the individual(s) who abused them and the church or religious organization that allowed it to happen.

Victims of child sexual abuse can bring a civil case against their abuser and the church and get financial compensation for what happened to them. Monetary damages in a sexual abuse case typically include compensation for:

• Past and future medical expenses incurred as a result of the abuse (e.g., mental health counseling, therapy, medications, etc.)
• Emotional pain and suffering resulting from the abuse
• Punitive damages (in some states)

In addition to monetary damages, victims of clergy abuse who bring civil actions can also get something called “injunctive relief.” Injunctive relief is an order from the court commanding someone to do certain things.

In church sexual abuse cases, injunctive relief usually takes the form of a court order instructing the church to take specific actions to prevent future sexual abuse.

How Much Money Can You Get for a Clergy Sexual Abuse Lawsuit?

There is nothing wrong with wondering how much money you can expect to get if you bring a successful sexual abuse lawsuit against a church.

Being a plaintiff in a sexual abuse case can be emotionally draining and challenging. Before putting yourself through this ordeal, it is reasonable to wonder what the jury payouts and settlement amounts are in clergy abuse lawsuits. How much money you might expect to get may determine whether it will be worth it for you.

The good news is that clergy sexual abuse lawsuits have a high potential settlement value. The average settlement in recent sexual abuse cases against the Catholic Church is around $300,000 – $400,000. To date, Catholic dioceses in the U.S. have paid over $3 billion in compensation to sexual abuse victims. In many cases, a group of sexual abuse cases are consolidated, and then the church agrees to some global settlement.

The Archdioceses of Los Angeles agreed to a $660 million payout to settle a group of clergy abuse cases. Each victim in the Los Angeles clergy abuse case received $1.3 million, which was the highest average settlement for any group of abuse cases. Is the average settlement amount in that case on the high end? It is.

But that type of settlement compensation payout is not out of reach for many victims of clergy abuse.

Example Jury Payouts and Settlement Amounts in Clergy Sexual Abuse Lawsuits

• 2024 Illinois – $2,900,000 Settlement: The Order of the Carmelites has agreed to pay $2.9 million to settle claims of assault by a former teacher at Mount Carmel High School. This is not technically a clergy abuse case but another instance of leaders of the Catholic Church turning the other way when abuse allegations are in the air. Allegations state that the teacher assaulted a student more than a dozen times between 1982 and 1986, with no action taken by school administrators despite reports of the abuse. The teacher continued in public ministry until 2002 despite previous misconduct allegations. The plaintiffs’ sex abuse lawyers were able to achieve a settlement at mediation before a lawsuit was filed.
• 2024 California – $10,000,000 Settlement: The Diocese of Orange and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles have agreed to a $10 million settlement in a case of clergy child sex abuse. The settlement comprises $9.5 million from the Diocese of Orange and $500,000 from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, benefiting now-adult survivors. These survivors utilized a three-year window provided by state law to bring forth civil complaints about the abuse they suffered decades ago.
• 2023 New York – $95,000,000 Verdict: A jury in upstate New York awarded a man $95 million against the Catholic Church after he alleged that he was sexually abused by his priest in a car in 1979. The award included $50 million in punitive damages and $45 million for pain and suffering.
• 2023 California – $1,000,000 Settlement: In this case, the plaintiff alleged that her stepfather sexually abused her during events, meetings, and on the property of the local Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where they were members of the congregation. She hired a clergy sex abuse lawyer who filed a lawsuit that claimed that the abuse was reported to the church, but they did nothing about it. The church settled out of the case for $1 million.
• 2021 Pennsylvania – $19,200,000 Settlement:  These claims were against the Catholic Diocese in Pittsburgh. The Feinberg Group reported that it received 369 claims. Of the 297 claims deemed eligible, 21 claimants did not respond to settlement offers. Fifty-two more refused the settlement. The remaining 224 claimants agreed to settlements. These clergy abuse claims only averaged about $86,000 per victim.
• 2020 Ohio – $1,000,000 Settlement: The plaintiff alleged that a priest sexually abused him six times while attending a Catholic high school. He suffered from depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
• 2019 Florida – $4,500,000 Verdict: A United Methodist Church elder, who was also a mental health counselor, sexually abused a woman during counseling sessions. She hired a clergy abuse lawyer and filed a negligent supervision claim against the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church. A jury awarded $4,500,000.
• 2018 Montana – $34,960,000 Verdict: Jehovah’s Witness congregation member sexually abused his plaintiffs when they were children over a 13-years. Just awful. The two women alleged that the congregation’s decision to internally handle the matter rather than contact authorities allowed the abuse to continue. It is such a common theme in these cases – granting a known child molester the opportunity to molest more children.
• 2018 Oregon – $800,000 Verdict: The plaintiff alleged that a youth pastor sexually molested him when he was 13. He hired a clergy abuse attorney who filed a lawsuit that alleged that he abused his position to coerce him into sexual acts. The man hired a clergy sex abuse lawyer who filed a suit claiming vicarious liability against the youth pastor’s church. The church denied liability. It argued that the youth pastor’s actions occurred outside the scope of employment.
• 2016 Washington – $9,100,000 Settlement: Eight women alleged that a former Catholic priest sexually abused them over forty years ago when they were children. The priest abused six of them in one parish and two in another. They hired a sex abuse attorney who claimed that the then-Archbishop of Seattle transferred him to unsuspecting parishes despite possessing documented accounts of his abuse. The average individual settlement amount of over $1 million was, in part, the result of the awfulness of sending this priest off to molest more children.

Now, let’s put these examples in context. Understanding the range of settlement amounts in clergy sex abuse lawsuits is important to victims. But you need to understand that estimating settlements is a hard task. No one tool can do it.

Second, when you see some of these large settlements, especially some of these Catholic Church sexual abuse settlements, you have to understand that Maryland is a little different.

The new law we have been talking about limitations on the damages that can be awarded in some instances. Specifically, it caps noneconomic damages at $1.5 million for claims that would have been time-barred before October 1, 2023. So you will see very few of the huge settlements

FAQs: Clergy Sexual Abuse Lawyers

Can I sue the church if I was sexually abused as a child?