OFFICIAL ARCHDIOCESE OF SANTA FE CREDITORS COMMITTEE CONCLUDE SETTLEMENT OF SEXUAL ABUSE CLAIMS AGAINST THE ARCHDIOCESE OF SANTA FE

LOS ANGELES, May 17, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — After more than three years of intense work, the Official Creditors Committee (“OCC”), the trustee for all survivors in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe (“ADSF”) Chapter 11 case , negotiated a settlement of sexual abuse claims filed against the ADSF. OCC is represented by Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones LLP (“PSZJ”). The settlement provides for the payment of $121.5 million to a settlement trust that will be distributed to approximately 375 survivors pursuant to a plan of reorganization. The settlement will be funded by ADSF, its affiliates (including parishes) and ADSF insurance companies. In exchange for payment of the settlement, ADSF will receive a bankruptcy discharge and affiliates and carriers will be released from liability for sexual abuse claims.

In addition to the monetary settlement, the OCC negotiated an unprecedented non-monetary agreement with the ADSF to create a public archive of documents regarding the history of sexual abuse claims against the Archdiocese. The negotiated settlement, which does not include the settlement of any claims against religious orders, will be incorporated into a plan of reorganization on which survivors will have the opportunity to vote.

“Through the hard work of the nine members of the Committee of Official Creditors, the Archdiocese of Santa Fe has been held accountable to the survivors. The tenacity and courage of the survivors in New Mexico have allowed us to reach a recommended settlement that meets to the needs of survivors on a The bankruptcy process has been a long one, and ultimately survivors will receive unprecedented transparency into the Archdiocese’s sexual abuse claims history and just compensation,” said Charles PaezPresident of the OCC.

“The OCC has always stood for fair compensation and transparency. The nine members of the OCC have dedicated thousands of hours over three years to getting the right outcome for all survivors,” said james stang of Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones LLP, bankruptcy counsel with the OCC.

SOURCE Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones