Diocese Pays Out $3.55 Million in Priest Abuse Lawsuit

BROOKFIELD, CT — The Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport has agreed to pay $3.55 million to five men who claim in lawsuits they were sexually abused as children by priests, the News-Times is reporting.

Three of the complaints were filed against the Rev. Walter Coleman. Two of the men are former altar boys at St. Patrick's Church, now known as The Cathedral Parish, in Bridgeport, and students at St. Patrick's School when they were allegedly abused in the 1970s and 1980s by Coleman. He was pastor of the parish at the time. Another man claims he was sexually abused by Coleman at St. Joseph's Parish in Brookfield in the 1980s, when Coleman was reassigned there as pastor. Coleman died in 2016.

Two other priests, Rev. Larry Jensen and the Rev. Robert Morrissey, were alleged to have abused plaintiffs in Bridgeport, Danbury and Ridgefield.

The settlements were reached following mediation with the law firm which represented all five of the plaintiffs.