New York Archdiocese Reaches Settlement of $800 Million or More With 1,300 Abuse Survivors

The Archdiocese of New York has agreed to a settlement of $800 million or more with about 1,300 people who say they were sexually abused by Catholic clergy members and lay workers or lay leaders. An attorney for some of the plaintiffs said all 1,300 survivors have agreed to the deal. One account describes it as a proposed settlement exceeding $800 million, while another says the survivors have approved it. The reporting available gives no date for the agreement, no court, and no payment terms. One report begins to say what the deal could allow but is cut off before saying.

Newsmax, on the right, leads with the archdiocese as the actor in its headline, "N.Y. Archdiocese Reaches $800 Million-Plus Abuse Deal." Its text calls the deal a "proposed settlement exceeding $800 million" and says the 1,300 people "accused" clergy members and lay leaders of abuse. It points to what the deal could make possible, though the excerpt ends mid-sentence, and it quotes no attorney. NPR, on the left, uses the headline "agrees to $800 million settlement" and leads with the survivors. It stresses that all 1,300 have agreed and attributes that to an attorney for some plaintiffs. It says "clergy members and lay workers" and gives the figure as a flat $800 million. Both sides agree on the 1,300 people, the $800 million-plus amount and the clergy and lay-worker categories. They differ on whether the deal is proposed or settled, on the wording "accused" versus "survivors," and on whether a plaintiffs' attorney is cited. Investing.com's headline, about survivors approving, closely resembles NPR's.