Survivors involved with the Archdiocese of New York and Archdiocese of New Orleans have seen important developments recently.  

In New York, the Archdiocese has announced it enter a formal negotiation process with attorneys for Survivors and commit at least $300 million to compensate the 1,300 victims of sexual abuse with claims pending against the church. Additional information may be found here.  

In New Orleans, Survivors and the Archdiocese reached a settlement of $230 million, approved by the bankruptcy court, to address the claims of approximately 600 Survivors who have been a part of this bankruptcy since it was filed in May of 2020. Further information about the New Orleans case can be found here. 

Both of these developments point to the recognition that significant financial settlements are appropriate to address the harm that Survivors have endured during their lifetime.  While every bankruptcy proceeding is unique, these are positive developments for Survivors.  If you have legal representation and questions related to your case, you should direct them to your attorney.  If you have questions about the bankruptcy process in general, you may email Stinson LLP via fresnosurvivorteam@stinson.com.  Every message will receive a response.

Protective Order Approved

On December 4, 2025, Judge Lastreto approved an order that establishes procedures for the handling of confidential information exchanged between the Committee and Diocese. The Committee and Diocese jointly requested approval of the order. Now that the order has been entered, the Diocese will begin sharing information with the Committee that will be critical to the parties’ mediation efforts.  From the committee’s perspective, all available, reasonable steps have been taken to assure that the personal information of Survivor claimants will not become public.

Proof of Claim Deadline Set for February 2, 2026

The Committee writes to inform survivors that Judge Lastreto has fixed February 2, 2026 as the deadline for survivors to submit a claim in the Diocese of Fresno bankruptcy case. Judge Lastreto also approved the survivor claim forms, claim filing procedures, confidentiality protocols, and the form of notice that will be provided to survivors. The Committee was involved with ensuring that the claim submission process is fair to survivors, including successfully opposing requests by insurance companies designed to make the claim submission process more burdensome on survivors.

More information regarding the claim filing process is available at: Survivor Claims Bar Date Information – February 2, 2026 Deadline to File Claims – The Roman Catholic Bishop of Fresno  Survivors who are represented should consult with their attorneys regarding the claim submission process.  

FTI Consulting Employed as Committee’s Financial Advisor

On November 10, 2025, Judge Lastreto granted the Committee’s request to employ FTI Consulting (“FTI”) as the Committee’s financial advisor. FTI is authorized to assist the Committee with analyzing the Diocese’s financial condition in connection with the Committee’s mediation and litigation efforts throughout the case. FTI’s analysis will provide critical insight into the scope of the Diocese’s assets and its ability to fairly compensate survivors.

The Official Committee of Survivors of Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Fresno bankruptcy has been extensively involved in all facets of the bankruptcy.  The following is a summary of recent events. 

1. The Court granted Fennemore’s employment application to represent the Committee with the Stinson team. The Fennemore firm will complement Stinson’s extensive experience with diocese bankruptcy by providing local expertise.  Jackson Waste at Fennemore is our local Fresno-based counsel. We look forward to continuing to work with Jackson and his team and appreciate all their work so far.
2. The United States Trustee concluded the initial Meeting of Creditors. The Committee’s Attorneys completed the questioning of the Diocese’s Chief Financial Officer regarding the financial information included in the Debtor’s bankruptcy schedules. We will be following up with the Debtor with an informal document request for various financial and organizational documents that the Debtor discussed during the meeting.  This will ensure that the Committee has the best possible understanding of all the Diocese’s assets that may be available to Survivors.

The Committee will continue to update this website as its able.  If you have any specific questions or comments related to the bankruptcy process feel free to reach out via fresnosurvivors@stinson.com.  Questions about the specifics of your claim should be directed to your attorney if you are represented.

Dear Survivors, those supporting Survivors, and others interested in the Roman Catholic Bishop of Fresno bankruptcy case:

On behalf of the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors (the “Survivors’ Committee”), welcome to the Fresno Survivors’ webpage. We, the Survivors Committee, were appointed by the US Trustee’s Office to advocate on behalf of all Survivors of abuse within the Diocese of Fresno.

The Survivors Committee is made up of seven Survivors of abuse related to this Diocese, whom represent a diversity of ages and genders. As Survivors ourselves, we understand the pain and trauma that other Survivors may be experiencing during this bankruptcy case. We understand that each Survivors’ journey is unique, and we empathize with each one of you as we navigate and process the trauma we have all experienced. Whether you are just beginning that journey or have been on it for many years, we are with you.   We have designed this website to help with the questions you may have about the bankruptcy case.

This website provides the following information regarding the bankruptcy case of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Fresno: 

• Overview of the bankruptcy process
• Diocesan Bankruptcy frequently asked questions (FAQ)
• News feed detailing case events and the Survivors’ Committee’s activities
• Mental health resources for Survivors

The website will be regularly updated over the course of the case. The Survivors’ Committee hopes Survivors find this information useful, and encourage any Survivors with questions to contact their personal attorneys or the Survivors’ Committee’s bankruptcy counsel, Stinson LLP. To contact Stinson LLP, you may email fresnosurvivorteam@stinson.com.