Catholic Diocese Files for Bankruptcy Amid Sex Abuse Claims
The state's only Catholic diocese, which has paid out more than $30 million to survivors over the years, still faces 31 lawsuits related to decades-old claims.
Bishop John J. McDermott: Courtesy of Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington
Published September 30, 2024
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington filed for bankruptcy protection on Monday, a maneuver through which the church will seek to resolve scores of sex abuse claims and preserve its assets.
The state's only Catholic diocese, which has paid out more than $30 million to sex abuse survivors in recent decades, still faces 31 pending civil lawsuits related to decades-old abuse claims, according to the petition filed in federal bankruptcy court in Vermont.
Most of the pending lawsuits were triggered by Vermont lawmakers' 2019 decision to lift the statute of limitations for civil claims related to sexual abuse of children. One of those cases had been scheduled for trial earlier this month but was abruptly canceled without public explanation, VTDigger.org reported.
Dozens of dioceses across the country have turned to bankruptcy court in the face of lawsuits from parishioners or former parishioners who say Catholic priests sexually abused them as children. The history of rampant abuse that church leaders covered up for decades has left dioceses with huge legal bills today.
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