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	15 Settle in Priest Sex Abuse Plaintiffs Average $100,000 Each; at Least 20 Suits against Diocese Remain By Eric Gorski Denver Post January 6, 2007 http://www.denverpost.com/ci_4965344 For $1.58 million, the Denver Roman Catholic Archdiocese substantially thinned the number of child sexual abuse lawsuits it faces at a price below what many other dioceses have paid. The deals brokered by a church-hired mediator with 15 plaintiffs averaged about $100,000. While in line with a mass settlement in Louisville, Ky., it's well short of eye-popping figures to emerge from California and far less than the settlement from the diocese of Davenport, Iowa. But Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput, mediator Richard Dana and the Miami-based law firm that struck the deals announced Friday described the payouts as fair and just. Even with the settlements, at least 20 lawsuits against the church remain. Chaput expressed hope that more cases will be settled out of court. "It's a matter of trying to restore some sort of relationship (for) people who have been hurt with the church they belong to," he said. "I think the settlements we made are reasonable. There is pain and hurt here too, and I understand why there is a demand for compensation." Chaput announced in May the hiring of Dana, a former federal judge, to head a mediation panel to broker settlements with plaintiffs suing the archdiocese for alleged abuse decades ago by priests Harold Robert White and Leonard Abercrombie. Both have died; White died of a heart attack last year while vacationing in Mexico. Chaput, who met with all but one of the 19 plaintiffs who agreed to enter mediation, said he found meeting the victims "very difficult and rewarding" - saying it was painful to hear their experiences, but he was thankful for the opportunity to apologize to them. Chaput has declined to reveal how much money the archdiocese set aside, except to call it "substantial." He said Friday the entire amount was not used. The money came from diocesan funds, and the archdiocese is discussing payment with its insurance companies. Chaput said the archdiocese also settled with three alleged victims who did not sue. Dana was satisfied that three- quarters of the clients who took part in mediation settled. "Fairness in these cases is very subjective and really depends on a whole lot of factors that are not economic; they're far more emotional," Dana said. Dana said that the circumstances of clergy sexual abuse lawsuits and the legal landscape in which they occur differ so much, it's impossible to make fair comparisons. Charles Zech, director of the Center for the Study of Church Management at Villanova University, said the key factors influencing settlement amounts are the lawyers and courts involved, a diocese's perceived ability to pay and the severity of the allegations. The Denver Archdiocese, he said, "did well." "That seems like a small amount compared to other dioceses," Zech said. "It's not going to break the diocese." Leonard Roskop of Keenesburg agreed to a $150,000 settlement. He sued claiming Abercrombie molested him when he was 7 or 8 in the early 1960s. "I just wanted to bring it out into the open," Roskop said. "When I talked to the bishop, I was surprised I found him to be extremely pleasant. It seemed like he really cared about what happened and didn't want to see it happen again." Roskop said he wanted more money but feared a drawn-out process. He blamed his legal team, led by Jeffrey Herman of of Miami, in part. Roskop said he received about $96,000, with the rest going to the firm. He said he felt as if his legal representation was most interested in settling quickly and had minimal contact with him. Adam Horowitz, a lawyer with the firm, declined to respond to Roskop's criticism. But he said the Colorado settlements are in line with national figures. Horowitz pointed out that the average is dragged down by two $30,000 settlements to men who were 18 at the time of their alleged sexual contact with White. Horowitz and others said it's wrong to compare Denver's settlements with huge payouts in California because that state opened a one-year window permitting lawsuits regardless of how long ago the alleged acts took place. Similar legislation was defeated in Colorado last session, with the Denver Archdiocese leading the fight against it. Staff writer Eric Gorski can be reached at 303-954-1698 or egorski@denverpost.com.
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