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Some Reflections On Labor And Employment Ramifications Of Diocesan Bankruptcy Filings, David L. Gregory

David L. Gregory

Sexual abuse of children by Roman Catholic clergy is perhaps the greatest scandal in the history of the Catholic Church in the United States. On September 7, 2007, the San Diego, California diocese settled with 144 claimants for $198 million. In mid-July, the Los Angeles Archdiocese settled with 508 claimants for $660 million. No article in the burgeoning law review literature on the scandal and its aftermath has focused on the labor and employment ramifications of diocesan bankruptcy filings. After first presenting the situations in the five dioceses that have filed for bankruptcy, I discuss the case and canon law …