Louisville Church Abuse Settlement Totals $25.7 Million

14wfie.com/June 11, 2003

A settlement has been reached after five days of mediation in the 240+ lawsuits filed against the Louisville Archdiocese.

The settlement was reached late Tuesday afternoon around 4:30. Neither side was releasing exact figures, simply sayig they have agreed on a number. A press conference was held for later Tuesday night. In that press conference, it was revealed that the Archdiocese of Louisville will pay $25.4 million in settlements to plantiffs and attorneys.

Brian Reynolds represented the Archdiocese during mediation talks, and says he is pleased a settlement has been reached. "We worked very hard over the past two days as well as three days last week. And the nature of this kind of mediation is trying to find some agreement that we can reach between the litigants and the Archdiocese. We've reached that agreement."

Reynolds went on to say, "It's very difficult for us to find a way to meet all the needs we have in the church while also responding to the number of cases, we've done so."

"There will be sacrifices on the part of the Archdiocese," Reynolds said, "and I know some of the litigants may have hoped they received more dollars. But that's what mediation is about."

When asked if the settlement figure will allow the Archdiocese to continue, Reynolds replied, "The Archdiocese has been here close to 200 years, and we're still going to be here."

He did say that day-to-day operations of the Archdiocese will be impacted by the settlement, but added, "It's time to move forward."

Bill McMurry, the attorney representing most of the 243 plaintiffs throughout this process, and he had this to say:

"No settlement is one that either side jumps up and down and celebrates. What's to be celebrated is the closure that this settlement brings to these cases, to the lives of these people and to the many years of tornment, and certainly to this Catholic community to get this very ugly business behind us."