Vermont Catholic bishop filed for bankruptcy on Monday; SNAP concerned

For Immediate Release: October 2, 2024

On Monday, the Catholic bishop of Vermont filed for bankruptcy in the face of 31 lawsuits for child sexual abuse. SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is concerned that by employing this legal tactic, the Diocese will avoid accountability for past actions that resulted in life-long injuries to innocent boys and girls.

In fact, we suspect that the real motive behind the decision is to prevent disclosures about what happened to these brave survivors as children, as well as the knowledge that the Diocese could have prevented that harm in most, if not all, the cases. As the cherry on top for Bishop McDermott, a bankruptcy will also mean that the recoveries to the victims will be severely reduced.

In a bankruptcy, those victims who filed civil actions become “creditors.” The court will allow a certain period of time for other “creditors” – that is other survivors -- to come forward. However, once the bankruptcy proceeds to its conclusion, anyone abused before the filing date who does not come forward is barred from ever filing a lawsuit. This would include those who do not remember their abuse, those who do not yet understand the impact it has had on their life, those who are not yet ready to speak out, and – most disturbingly -- those children who do not understand that they need to file a claim before the bar date.

In 2019, Vermont enacted a law that removed the civil statute of limitations for child sexual crimes. However, for those survivors abused in Bishop McDermott’s Diocese, the legislative intent of this reform -- to allow just compensation for life-long injuries and to learn who the perpetrators, as well as who those who protected them, are -- will be thwarted for decades.

Protecting other boys and girls from being abused, and learning who made the decisions that resulted in a child predator working in their parish or school is important to survivors. However, the bankruptcy courts do not normally concern themselves with either issue. We are concerned that important information will remain hidden from parishioners and the public because of this bankruptcy. We believe that churches and communities are less safe when information about child predators remains secret.

This bankruptcy will have many advantages for Bishop McDermott. For those who suffered from child sexual crimes committed in his Diocese, there is no upside to this cruel maneuver. SNAP believes that children, not secrets and assets, are what need to be protected.

CONTACT: Melanie Sakoda, SNAP Survivor Support Director ([email protected], 925-708-6175), Shaun Dougherty, SNAP Interim Executive Director ([email protected], 814- 341-8386)

(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for more than 35 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)

SNAP Network is a GuideStar Gold Participant