In one of the largest out-of-court settlements to be announced since the Roman Catholic church sexual misconduct scandal broke in 2002, the Archdiocese of Louisville, Kentucky agreed to pay $25.7 million to 243 people who accused numerous priests and church employees of sexual abuse.
Many of the lawsuits, which were filed last year, accused the archdiocese of covering up abuse or doing nothing to stop it. Archbishop Thomas Kelly announced the settlement Tuesday, apologizing to the hundreds of victims during his address. As part of the settlement, the archdiocese will implement a mandatory training program on sexual-abuse awareness for all church employees and volunteers.
Three priests and two teachers, all formerly employed by the Archdiocese of Louisville, are currently awaiting trial on sexual misconduct charges. The Reverend Louis Miller was sentenced to 20 years in prison in May after pleading guilty to 50 counts of sexual abuse in Jefferson County.