Sexual Assault Mass Tort Marketing Campaigns

A settlement has been reached by the Diocese of Winona-Rochester in Minnesota in a case involving hundreds of victims of sexual abuse.

 
The Diocese agreed to a $30 million settlement with one of its insurers, US Fire Insurance, ending litigation related to 145 people who were sexually abused by Catholic clergy and staff. The agreement reportedly covers incidents of abuse dating back to the early 1960s. Some of the survivors began filing claims against the diocese back in the early 1980s.

 
The diocese purchased insurance policies from US Fire starting in 1967, with those policies requiring US Fire to pay related to claims of injury against the diocese.

 
“This is a breakthrough and powerful moment in time in getting justice for survivors,” said Jeff Anderson, whose law firm, Jeff Anderson & Associates, represented the sexual abuse survivors.

 
In 2018, the diocese sued several different insurers, including US Fire, to have the insurers pay damages to survivors of sexual abuse by members of the clergy. Several of the insurance companies settled with the diocese in 2021 for $28 million but US Fire was not part of that settlement.

 
“I am so proud to stand with these courageous survivors — to have first put it to the bishops, and now to the insurance industry that has refused to abide by their obligations to the survivors and to the bishops themselves,” Anderson said. “Today is a powerful day in that journey, and it feels like it’s closing a circle that began in 1982.”

 
The many lawsuits forced the diocese to file for bankruptcy in 2018. The Diocese of Winona-Rochester’s Vicar General William Thompson said that with the U.S. Fire settlement, all future litigation stemming from its bankruptcy has been concluded.

The San Francisco Archdiocese has agreed to pay $395 million in a settlement with hundreds of plaintiffs who alleged they were sexually abused by clergy and other church employees as children.

 
The agreement, reported to be one of the largest settlements between the Catholic church and sex abuse survivors, will resolve approximately 530 claims and also includes a series of child protection and transparency reforms aimed at bringing about systemic change.

 
The settlement came after California temporarily lifted the statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse lawsuits.

 
“We stand proudly with over 200 of those brave souls who have persisted collectively, requiring a real reckoning,” said attorney Jeff Anderson, who represents many of the plaintiffs. “A real monetary reckoning. Real accountability.”

 
The survivors will receive an average payment of $745,000. The Archdiocese released a statement saying that survivors will now be fairly compensated.

 
“The entire Catholic family is called to unite and share in the work of making amends through this proposed settlement,” Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone said. “We have a moral obligation to bring some level of healing and reconciliation to those who deserve our unwavering respect, attention and prayers.”

 
Under the settlement, Archbishop Cordileone must turn over internal church records to an independent “child protection consultant” for a report that will be published on the Archdiocese website.

 
Additional reforms include:

-More robust public disclosure of priests accused of abuse.
Placement of an abuse survivor on the Archdiocese review board that reviews clergy abuse -allegations.
-Release of survivors from existing nondisclosure agreements and a ban on future confidentiality agreements.

 
Archbishop Cordileone has also agreed to write a letter of apology to each survivor, according to plaintiffs’ attorneys. “I sincerely apologize to all those who have suffered because of those failures. We remain committed to fostering healing and reconciliation,” he wrote.

A Los Angeles Superior Court judge has rejected a request from District Attorney Nathan Hochman to freeze payouts of the county’s $4 billion child sexual abuse settlement for six months.

 
Hochman alleged that thousands of claims may contain indicators of fraud and concluded that up to 81% of the claims in the case may be fraudulent.

 
The settlement, approved by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors in 2025, resolved more than 11,000 claims brought by people who alleged they were sexually abused while in county custody or care in juvenile halls, foster homes and children’s shelters.

 
Judge Lawrence Riff denied Hochman’s proposal to stop the first round of payouts in the settlement while the District Attorney’s Office continues to investigate evidence of fraud by plaintiffs as well as attorneys, recruiters and medical personnel.

 
Attorneys representing abuse survivors argued Hochman has no legal authority to stop payments because he is not a party to the settlement agreements negotiated by the county. Other plaintiffs’ attorneys said delaying the payments would further harm survivors, many of whom have already endured years of delays.

Ohio State University reached a $100 million settlement with 279 former students who had accused the school’s campus doctor of sexually assaulting them decades ago.

 
The announcement followed eight years of litigation in the Southern District of Ohio over the allegations involving Dr. Richard Strauss.

 
The abuse occurred from 1978 to 1998, the year Strauss retired from the faculty. An investigative report concluded that scores of Ohio State personnel knew of complaints about Strauss’ conduct as early as 1979 but failed for years to investigate or take meaningful action.

 
“The mediation and its confidentiality are continuing as the parties work to finalize the details of the settlements, and additional information will be shared as appropriate,” the school and a lawyer for the victims said in a joint statement.

 
A special master appointed by the court was expected to interview each of the men involved in the litigation to determine the level of harm and how much settlement money they will receive.

 
“The survivors of the Strauss abuse are all Buckeyes,” OSU President Ravi Bellamkonda said at a university board meeting where the settlement was announced. “We continue to be very grateful to them for their courage in coming forward, and reaching a final resolution is very important to us and is an important step forward.”

 
Before the settlement, OSU had settled Strauss abuse claims with 317 other survivors for more than $61 million. Both OSU and its former president have publicly apologized “to each person who endured” abuse at the hands of Strauss, who died by suicide in 2005.

The Archdiocese of New York has agreed to recommend a settlement of $800 million to end litigation of sex abuse claims against clergy members.

 
It was reported to be one of the largest abuse settlements in U.S. church history and was reached after a five-year legal battle.

 
The archdiocese agreed with an abuse victims’ committee to recommend a settlement that would be paid into a trust for approximately 1,300 survivors who have brought sexual abuse claims under New York’s Child Victims Act.

 
The proposal will be subject to “full survivor agreement” before it can be finalized. Under the settlement, the Archdiocese would publicly disclose the names of clergy with credible claims of abuse against them and continue to update it with any new, substantiated abuse claims.

 
Another stipulation is a temporary stoppage of all litigation against the Archdiocese for the survivors and their counsel to consider the terms of the proposed settlement.

 
New York Archbishop Ronald Hicks issued a statement about the proposal.
“It cannot be denied that this has been a painful process — most significantly so for the victim-survivors and their families and loved ones who have suffered, in most cases, for decades,” he said, adding, “I pray that all of us, as the family of God, will come together to support and affirm these individuals and take these next steps to bring about some healing and peace.”.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a settlement with the El Monte Union High School (District to address what he called critical and systemic shortfalls in the district’s response to allegations and complaints of sexual harassment, assault, and abuse of students.

 
The agreement follows a state investigation that found years of sexual misconduct by faculty and staff in what Bonta described as “horrific and unacceptable and disgusting abuses of children” over decades at Rosemead High School, and repeated failures by district officials to report or properly investigate allegations.

 
The stipulated judgment permanently enjoins the District from violating anti-sexual assault laws, requires a minimum of four years of oversight by the court and Attorney General, and includes wide-ranging reforms to prevent, stop, and remedy sexual harassment, assault, or abuse on the District’s campuses.

 
“Every child deserves to learn and grow in a safe and supportive school environment. Unfortunately, our investigation found that this has not always been the case for students enrolled in El Monte Union High School District,” said Bonta. “Across multiple years, the District consistently mishandled students’ complaints of sexual harassment, assault, and abuse by District employees and others. In doing so, it jeopardized the safety and well-being of its students and violated the community’s trust.”

The Parkland School District in Pennsylvania agreed to a $6 million settlement with three former students who were sexually abused by a teacher during their time attending district schools.

 
The lawsuit filed in Lehigh County Court alleged that the female students were abused from 2005 to 2009 by the teacher, who pleaded guilty to abusing four girls at Parkland and two others at the Palisades School District.

 
The plaintiffs claimed the abuse occurred during school-related activities and on school property, where the teacher maintained direct supervisory authority and daily access to students.

 
The students’ attorneys detailed years of grooming, manipulation and abuse, as well as significant institutional failures by both school districts to protect students or intervene despite repeated warning signs. The plaintiffs alleged failures in supervision, reporting, and intervention that allowed the misconduct to continue.

 
The Parkland School District said the settlement was a compromise, that the district did not admit wrongdoing, and that no findings made against the district,

 
In New Jersey, the Diocese of Camden agreed to a $180 million settlement to resolve allegations of clergy sexual abuse involving approximately 300 survivors. It was reported to be one of the largest settlements in New Jersey’s history of clergy abuse litigation.

 
“For the survivors of South Jersey, this day is long overdue and represents a milestone in their journey toward restored justice and the healing and recognition they have long sought and deserve,” Bishop Joseph A. Williams said in a letter to members of the Diocese of Camden.

The Diocese of Brooklyn said it will begin the process of seeking independent mediation for 1,100 open sexual abuse lawsuits filed under the New York Child Victims Act.

 
Bishop Robert Brennan announced the decision, saying the Diocese and its legal counsel had spoken with attorneys representing hundreds of victim-survivors about this next step, which is expected to lead to settlements compensating survivors. The potential settlements could be in the hundreds of millions of dollars, the Diocese said.

 
Brennan said the move is part of an effort by the Diocese to achieve a global resolution to the claims and, “to avoid the time, expense and emotional strain for victim-survivors” of revisiting individual cases in front of a judge.

 
The Diocese of Brooklyn has already spent over $100 million settling claims made by more than 500 accusers since starting its Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program in 2017.

A public-records lawsuit has been filed against a New Jersey school district to force the release of settlement agreements in the case of sexual abuse by a former teacher.

 
Derek Hildreth, a former elementary school teacher and coach in Lawrence Township, pleaded guilty to four counts, including three first-degree aggravated sexual assault charges and one count of endangering the welfare of a child. He was sentenced in 2013 to 20 years in state prison.

 
John Paff, publisher of the government-transparency site Transparency NJ, filed suit against the Lawrence Township Board of Education. Paff alleges the board denied his request for copies of settlement agreements in three civil cases stemming from the sexual abuse.

 
Paff asserts that the settlement agreements in these cases are government records subject to disclosure under New Jersey’s Open Public Records Act.
He said he is seeking only the financial terms of the agreements and believes the names of victims can be redacted.

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York announced it will establish a $300 million fund for compensating survivors of sexual abuse. The fund will be used for a global settlement involving over 1,300 people who said priests and lay staff members sexually abused them as children.

 
Cardinal Timothy Dolan said the archdiocese would raise the money by reducing its budget, laying off employees and selling off assets, including completing the sale of its former headquarters in Manhattan.

 
An attorney representing hundreds of the plaintiffs said settlements would have to be accompanied by full disclosure of wrongdoing and measures to prevent future abuse.

 
The New York archdiocese has also agreed to engage retired California Judge Daniel J. Buckley as a mediator between itself and victims to reach a settlement. Buckley previously helped negotiate a similar settlement with the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and more than 1,000 people who said they were sexually abused as children by clergy.

A jury in New Jersey awarded $5 million in damages to a graduate of an all-boys Catholic prep school who alleged he was sexually assaulted by a monk there.

 
After a five-week trial, the jury in Morris County Superior Court agreed unanimously that that the accuser identified only as T.M. had been assaulted and found that the man accused of abusing him, the Rev. Richard Lott, was liable for 35% of the compensatory damages. The prep school, Delbarton, and its connected monastery, St. Mary’s Abbey, were held responsible for the rest of the compensatory damages, or $3.25 million. The jury decided not to impose further punitive penalties on the school.

 
Delbarton has faced dozens of accusations of sexual assaults committed by teachers and priests against children for decades. T.M.’s case was the first of 39 pending abuse cases to go to trial against the school.

 
Lawyers for the plaintiff said, “The evidence presented at trial showed that the Order of St. Benedict of New Jersey, the operator of the Delbarton School, enabled decades of child sexual abuse and systematically concealed it to guard their reputation.”

 
It was called the first verdict against Catholic Church-affiliated defendants for sexual abuse in New Jersey.

Two separate lawsuits were filed alleging sexual abuse by teachers at a California high school and claiming that the misconduct was enabled by the Jefferson Union High School District.

 
The young women who are the plaintiffs describe inappropriate behavior by two different teachers at the school. Families of both teens say they brought complaints to the school and were ignored. They also allege the school has been dismissive of multiple complaints of inappropriate behavior by teachers. Both lawsuits allege that the Jefferson Union High School District was negligent in hiring, supervising and keeping these teachers on staff.

 
In Illinois, multiple sexual assaults were filed against Logan Correctional Center in Lincoln by women inmates and former inmates who allege they were abused by guards in the women’s prison. The lawsuit accuses correctional officers of sexual assault, retaliation, grooming, and neglect. The women claimed guards not only groomed and sexually assaulted them, but also bribed them for sexual favors, such as with medical care and sentencing credits. The lawsuit also alleges there was retaliation against women who tried to complain.

The New York State Attorney General’s Office reached a settlement with the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office, following allegations of sexual misconduct, sexual harassment, inappropriate touching and groping by male officers at the Clinton County Jail.

 
After a two-year investigation, Attorney General Letitia James’ office determined that female correction officers faced unwanted sexual advances, retaliatory assignments, and fabricated disciplinary charges for speaking out, while incarcerated women endured abuse ranging from groping to lewd exposure. The investigation also found that supervisors consistently ignored complaints, and in some cases, actively enabled the misconduct.

 
The settlement includes a four-year term of outside professional oversight of jail reform programs, during which formal policy and training will be established and required for Clinton County corrections and sheriff’s department staff. The county must retain an an outside, independent monitor to report compliance twice a year.

The cases of over 100 plaintiffs who allege they were sexually abused in state-run juvenile detention centers in New Jersey took a step forward. The cases were consolidated into a multicounty litigation overseen by Judge Bruce J. Kaplan in Middlesex County. The claims include allegations of rape, harassment, and systemic neglect.

11 lawsuits have been filed in New Jersey Superior Court alleging sexual abuse at the Camden County juvenile detention center. The plaintiffs claim they were abused as youths detained at the facility between 1983 and 2009. The suits allege that officers and other staff assaulted the plaintiffs, and nothing was done to stop the mistreatment. The plaintiffs claim staff subjected them to a “culture of abuse,” including coercive and predatory conduct. They assert that the county was negligent in hiring, training, supervising, and retaining center staff who abused detainees.

A landmark verdict was reached in favor of a woman who was the victim of sex trafficking at a motel in Georgia. The woman was held captive at the United Inn & Suites in Decatur in 2019 when she was 16 and was forced to have sex there with hundreds of men.

The woman claims the hotel’s owner, Northbrook Industries, Inc., knowingly profited from her exploitation and failed to act despite clear warning signs. Trial evidence demonstrated that employees ignored visible signs of trafficking, failed to assist after being contacted by police regarding her status as a missing minor, and allowed the abuse to continue in a property already known for prior trafficking activity.

A federal jury returned a verdict finding Northbrook Industries, Inc. liable and awarding the plaintiff $10 million in compensatory damages for pain and suffering and an additional $30 million in punitive damages. It is reported to be the first civil case filed under the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act to reach a jury verdict in the nation.

The Los Angeles Unified School District approved plans to issue up to $500 million in bonds to cover compensation for nearly 370 sexual assault claims. This funding would be in addition to the over $300 million already disbursed during the current fiscal year.

In 2019, California’s State Assembly passed a law extending the statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse dating back as the far as the 1940s. That allowed hundreds of claims to be filed against LA Unified by former students alleging abuse by school employees. About 76 plaintiffs allege abuse from the 1940s through the 1970s, while another 45 to 50 involve incidents from the 1980s.

School board members approved borrowing up to $500 million for the compensation costs through judgment obligation bonds. Unlike bonds for school construction, these do not require voter approval.

New York-Presbyterian Hospital and Columbia University agreed to a $750 million settlement of hundreds of sexual abuse claims by patients of Robert Hadden, a former OB-GYN at the hospital and the university’s Irving Medical Center. The settlement, approved by a New York state court, brings total legal payouts in civil cases involving the ex-doctor to over $1 billion, according to the plaintiffs’ lawyer.

The latest settlement averages out to about $1.3 million per survivor and represents what may be the highest per-plaintiff payout in a civil case in U.S. history. The settlements come in 576 cases filed against Columbia, New York-Presbyterian Hospital and others involving abuse by Hadden, who was convicted by a jury in 2023 of federal sex crime charges and sentenced to 20 years in federal prison. Many of the victims were young women or pregnant patients seeking routine care.

A claim of sexual abuse at a jail in New York will be permitted to continue following a ruling by a federal judge.

Six women who were incarcerated at the Rockland County Jail alleged that correctional officers sexually abused them over many years.

In Doe v. County of Rockland, the judge allowed one plaintiff’s claims to move forward, while dismissing the claims of the other women as untimely.

The court found the one plaintiff alleged enough facts to support a Monell claim, which allows plaintiffs to hold local governments liable under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 when a constitutional violation results from a municipal policy, custom, or practice.

A lawsuit filed early March accuses influencer platform Passes of enabling the distribution of sexually explicit content involving minors. The complaint alleges the company and its co-founder knowingly facilitated and profited from this material, violating federal child exploitation laws. Plaintiffs claim underage girls were recruited for explicit content, which was then sold before and after they turned 18. This case intensifies scrutiny of Passes amid rising concerns about platform accountability in preventing child exploitation.

A federal lawsuit filed on March 9 accuses DoorDash of retaliating against a longtime customer who raised alarms about the company’s lax driver screening. The plaintiff claims DoorDash ignored offers to help improve safety and instead shut down their account after making false fraud allegations against the plaintiff. The suit points to a pattern of violent incidents involving drivers with criminal records and alleges the company misled customers about its safety policies and tip practices. Damages are being sought.

The North Carolina Supreme Court has upheld the 2019 SAFE Child Act, reaffirming the law’s provision that extended the window for survivors of child sexual abuse to file civil lawsuits, even if their claims were previously time-barred. This ruling is linked to a case where three former students sued the Gaston County Board of Education over alleged abuse by a former coach. By confirming the legislature’s authority to adjust statutes of limitations, the court has strengthened survivors’ ability to hold both individuals and institutions accountable.

Also early this month, Maryland Supreme Court upheld the Child Victims Act of 2023, ensuring survivors of childhood sexual abuse can seek justice. In its decision, the court affirmed the legislature’s authority to remove time limits that once protected abusers and institutions. This ruling reinforces the rights of survivors to hold those responsible accountable and marks a crucial victory in the fight for justice.

This month also saw the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) reach a $5 million settlement with attorneys general in New York, Illinois, and Washington, D.C., following investigations into widespread misconduct and abuse spanning over a decade. Authorities found that the league failed to protect players from sexual misconduct, emotional abuse, and harassment. The settlement establishes a compensation fund for affected players, but individuals may still pursue private legal claims. Additionally, the NWSL must report misconduct allegations biannually for three years, conduct anonymous player surveys, and faces a $2 million penalty for noncompliance.

In the first week of the month, a Sweetwater County parolee filed a federal lawsuit alleging sexual assault, harassment, and retaliation by Wyoming Department of Corrections and Nebraska law enforcement employees during her incarceration. She also accuses medical staff of denying care and humiliation. The plaintiff seeks over $5 million in damages, claiming systemic failure to address her reports and protect her rights.

The first week of the month also saw a new decision in the G.M. v. Choice Hotels Int’l, Inc., case. An Ohio federal court ruled that corporate defendants under the TVPRA cannot shift liability to franchisees through common law indemnification. This decision highlights the statute’s victim-centered focus and reinforces accountability for corporations accused of enabling trafficking at branded properties.

By the third week of the month, it came forward that Dr. Derrick Todd, a former Massachusetts rheumatologist, faces rape charges and allegations of sexually assaulting over 200 patients through improper medical exams. With his medical licenses revoked, lawsuits from victims are mounting, and more are expected as details of his alleged misconduct continue to emerge.

Endeavor Health will pay $453 million to resolve claims from patients alleging sexual abuse by former gynecologist Dr. Fabio Ortega. Ortega, previously convicted of felony sexual abuse, faced numerous accusations of misconduct during exams. The settlement, impacting Swedish Hospital and other facilities, was revealed in the system’s latest financial disclosures.

In a separate case, a Missouri appeals court upheld a $177 million verdict against Hyatt Corp., including $149 million in punitive damages, for failing to protect a guest who was sexually assaulted by a security guard in 2016. The court found Hyatt negligently hired and retained the guard despite a history of sexual misconduct. Evidence showed Hyatt obstructed the police investigation, withholding key evidence and violating guest safety protocols. The ruling underscores the importance of corporate accountability in ensuring guest security.

November 21, 2024

A former Alaska federal prosecutor has resolved retaliation claims against the Department of Justice, securing a confidential settlement. She alleged that reporting Judge Joshua Kindred’s misconduct and another prosecutor’s actions led to career retaliation.

November 12, 2024

Former Provo OB-GYN Dr. David Broadbent now faces mounting legal troubles, with over 100 women accusing him of sexual misconduct during medical exams. Alongside civil lawsuits, he has been charged with forcible sexual abuse and object rape.

October 12, 2024

The Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles has agreed to a landmark $880 million settlement with approximately 1,300 individuals who allege sexual abuse by clergy members. Combined with prior settlements totaling $740 million, this brings the Archdiocese’s payouts for abuse claims to an unprecedented $1.5 billion, marking one of the largest settlements in U.S. history.

October 10, 2024

A Philadelphia foster care agency has reached a $9.38 million settlement with a survivor who was trafficked for sex while in its care. The lawsuit claimed the agency failed to monitor her foster placement, leading to years of abuse and exploitation. Combined with a $24 million settlement against a hotel, the total compensation exceeded $33 million.