The Roman Catholic Diocese of Ogdensburg is the latest in the region to declare bankruptcy as it faces numerous lawsuits alleging years of clergy abuse and misconduct. The Diocese, which covers more than 12,000 square miles in northern New York, says nearly 140 previously barred lawsuits were filed against it during the two-year window provided by the state’s Child Victims Act. Bishop Reverend Terry LaValley says 14 claims have been resolved through settlement or dismissal.
“And we have come to realize that reorganization is the best context for resolving the remaining claims while continuing our mission as a diocese,” LaValley said in a recorded message Monday. “Reorganization ensures that each survivor receives just compensation. It eliminates a race to the courthouse in which the earliest cases settled or brought to judgment, exhaust all resources available to pay claims, leaving nothing for victims whose cases are resolved later.”
Dioceses in Albany, Rochester and Buffalo have also declared bankruptcy.
