Church considering Chapter 11

last updated 8 January 2015

Boston

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston is preparing to file for bankruptcy to protect itself from an avalanche of sexual-abuse lawsuits, The Boston Globe reported this week. An estimated 450 people have accused Boston priests of molesting them. The legal battles could drag on for years and cost the archdiocese $100 million. Filing for Chapter 11 protection would be an admission of the church’s liability, but it would freeze the lawsuits while a judge mulled a fair settlement. Church leaders said the Globe report was “premature,” as they had not decided what to do. Lawyer Jeffrey Newman said the archdiocese was trying to force victims to accept a lowball settlement by threatening to hand the decision to a bankruptcy judge. “It’s rank intimidation.”