Vermont Priest Abuse

Vermont Priest Abuse Lawsuits

Like many other dioceses in the United States, the Diocese of Burlington released a list of priests facing credible allegations of abuse. Bishop Christopher Coyne assembled a committee to sort through decades of church records and allegation reports. In August 2019, Bishop Coyne announced the release of a list documenting 40 priests accused of abuse in Vermont. The publication of this list prompted many more lawsuits in the state.

2021 | Survivor Files Lawsuit Naming Leo Courcy

In May 2021, Vermont survivor Christopher Silletti filed a lawsuit against the Diocese of Burlington. In the lawsuit, he named former priest Leo Courcy as his abuser. Courcy allegedly began sexually abusing Silletti in 1978. Courcy’s position as friend of the family gave him access to Silletti on multiple occasions.

Silletti also accused the Diocese of Burlington of covering up the abuse. In the 1960s, Courcy was treated for psychosis and psychosexual issues. The Catholic Church was aware of these disorders and continued to employ Courcy as a priest. In addition to Vermont, Courcy served in Texas, New Mexico and Canada. Multiple New Mexico survivors filed lawsuits against Courcy prior to Silletti’s legal claim.

Clergy Abuse Settlements In Vermont

The Diocese of Burlington has paid out millions of dollars in settlements for priest sex abuse allegations. The exact figure is unknown as several settlement figures were never disclosed. However, there have been some significant settlements announced publicly.

Burlington Diocese Settlements Reach $4.5 Million Post-H.330

In May 2019, Vermont lawmakers passed House Bill 330 (H.330) into law. The law, among other things, permanently revived child sexual abuse claims. This led to a flood of new lawsuits against the Catholic Church in Vermont.

In September 2024, the Burlington Diocese filed for bankruptcy. From the time H.330 passed to the diocese declaring bankruptcy, it settled 20 lawsuits. The total amount it paid out to victims was over $4.5 million.

Burlington Diocese Pays Out $18 Million to Settle With Former Altar Boys

In May 2013, the Diocese of Burlington agreed to pay $18 million to settle with 26 former altar boys. Many of the allegations involved Rev. Edward Paquette. The diocese hired him in the mid-1970s, at a time when Paquette already had allegations against him.

Other Notable Settlements

The Catholic Church in Vermont has faced many lawsuits from victims since The Boston Globe released its report on clergy abuse in 2002. Other notable settlements include:

• In 2013, the Burlington Diocese agreed to settle 11 cases for $6,750,000. 
• Between 2006 and early 2010, the Burlington Diocese agreed to pay $2.68 million to settle 7 cases.

Child Sex Abuse Statutes Of Limitations In Vermont

On May 28, 2019, Vermont Governor Scott signed House Bill 330 (H.330) into law. The bill went into effect on July 1, 2019. The new law extended the legal rights of survivors of childhood sexual abuse in several ways:

• H.330 eliminated the statute of limitations to file a civil claim of childhood sexual abuse.
• H.330 expanded the definition of “childhood sexual abuse” to include felony sexual exploitation of a minor.
• If evidence shows that an entity (institution, organization or company) was grossly negligent in a case of child sexual abuse, H.330 allows the entity to be sued for damages. For a survivor of clergy abuse, this provision allows the victim to sue the diocese or church if either entity covered up the abuse.
• H.330 opened a permanent revival window that retroactively applied the above to all civil cases for child sexual abuse that occurred before July 1, 2019.

Civil Statutes For Child Sex Abuse In Vermont

With the passing of H.330, a survivor of child sexual abuse has no time limit to file a civil lawsuit against their abuser in the state of Vermont.

Additionally, H.330 opened a permanent “look back” window that revived all older claims of child sexual abuse.

Criminal Statutes For Child Sex Abuse In Vermont

There is no criminal statute of limitations for the following sexual crimes against a minor in the state of Vermont:

• Aggravated sexual assault of a child
• Sexual exploitation of a minor

List Of Accused Priests In Vermont

The following list contains the names of clergy members and Vermont priests accused of abuse. The list does not include staff members, volunteers or members of the Diocese of Burlington facing similar accusations.

If you or a loved one was abused by a clergy member in Vermont, contact us today to learn about your legal rights. Whether or not the abuser is on the list, we want to hear from you. Our team of expert clergy abuse attorneys can help you find justice and win financial compensation.

History Of Vermont Church Abuse

The Diocese of Burlington has faced numerous lawsuits throughout the years. The diocese originally handled the cases individually. But, after a series of significant legal losses, the diocese has aimed to settle more of the abuse cases.

Many of the cases filed against the Diocese of Burlington come from victims of St. Joseph’s Catholic Orphanage in Burlington, Vermont.

Vermont Catholic Orphanage Abuse

In 2018, a BuzzFeed investigative news article exposed decades of child abuse at St. Joseph Catholic Orphanage. Although the orphanage building was owned by the Diocese of Burlington, the facility was run by the Sisters of Providence — a Montreal-based order of nuns. The orphanage was open for 120 years.

The expose documented horrifying stories of physical, sexual and psychological abuse waged against children at the orphanage over the course of several decades. Many of the perpetrators were nuns, priests or other staff who worked at the facility.

In the early 1990s, the Diocese of Burlington offered $5,000 to those abused at the orphanage. In exchange for the money, victims agreed to waive their legal rights to file a lawsuit against the diocese. More than 100 former residents accepted the money.

Despite the money offered, many former residents chose to pursue legal action instead. Many lawsuits named the Diocese of Burlington, the Sisters of Providence and the Vermont Catholic Charities as defendants.

In the late 1990s, several plaintiffs asked the court to consolidate their lawsuits. Consolidating the cases would allow plaintiffs’ testimonies to support one another, potentially making their testimonies more credible.

The plaintiffs were denied this request. Many of the plaintiffs withdrew their claims after the request was denied rather than face the church alone. Several cases were also dismissed due to the previous state legal deadlines pertaining to civil cases.

After the BuzzFeed article was published, the Vermont Attorney General’s Office launched an investigation into the allegations. In 2020 the investigation concluded that extensive child abuse took place at the orphanage. As of 2021, survivors are still pushing the Diocese of Burlington for reparations.

If you or someone you know was abused at St. Joseph’s Orphanage and are considering legal action, contact our legal team today. We can help you understand your legal rights and options.

Vermont Priest Abuse Victim Resources

Victims of priest abuse in Vermont do not have to heal from the trauma alone. The state of Vermont has many helpful resources for survivors of sexual violence.

The Vermont Department of Health supports efforts to prevent sexual and domestic violence. Many of the programs supported by the Vermont Department of Health offer resources to survivors. Learn more about the department’s initiatives and the programs it supports here.

Vermont Sexual Violence Programs by County

County	Facility Name	Phone Number(s)
Addison	WomenSafe	Hotline: 802-388-4205
Bennington	Project Against Violent Encounters (PAVE)	Hotline: 802-442-2111 Office: 802-442-2370
Caledonia	The Advocacy Program Umbrella	Hotline: 802-748-8645 (St. Johnsbury) Hotline: 802-334-0148 (Newport) Office: -802-748-1992
Caledonia	AWARE *AWARE serves the towns of Hardwick, Stannard, and Walden in Caledonia County.	Hotline: 802-472-6463
Chittenden	Hope Works (Formerly WRCC)	Hotline: 802-863-1236
Essex	The Advocacy Program Umbrella	Hotline: 802-748-8645 (St. Johnsbury) Hotline: 802-334-0148 (Newport) Office: -802-748-1992
Franklin	Voices Against Violence	Hotline: 802-524-6575
Grand Isle	Voices Against Violence	Hotline: 802-524-6575
Lamoille	Clarina Howard Nichols Center	Hotline: 802-888-5256 Office: 802-888-2584
Orange	Safeline	Hotline: 1-800-NEW-SAFE (639-7233)
Orange	WISE	Hotline: 866-348-WISE (9473) Office: 603-448-5922
Orleans	The Advocacy Program Umbrella	Hotline: 802-748-8645 (St. Johnsbury) Hotline: 802-334-0148 (Newport) Office: 802-748-1992
Orleans	AWARE *AWARE serves the towns of Craftsbury and Greensboro in Orleans County.	Hotline: 802-472-6463
Rutland	NewStory Center	Hotline: 802-775-3232 Office: 802-775-6788
Washington	Circle	Hotline: 1-877-543-9498
Washington	Mosaic Vermont	Hotline: 802-479-5577 Office: 802-476-1388
Washington	AWARE *AWARE serves the towns of Cabot and Woodbury in Washington County.	Hotline: 802-472-6463
Windham	Women’s Freedom Center	Hotline: 802-254-6954 Office: 802-257-7364
Windsor	Women’s Freedom Center	Hotline: 802-885-2050 Office: 802-885-2368
Windsor	WISE	Hotline: 866-348-WISE (9473) Office: 603-448-5922
Source:	The Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence

Vermont Priest Abuse FAQs

What Is The Statute Of Limitations On Priest Sexual Abuse In Vermont?

Vermont currently has no statute of limitations for civil or criminal cases of child sexual abuse.

Learn more about child sexual abuse statutes in Vermont here >

How Do I Report Vermont Priest Abuse?

Contact your local law enforcement agency to report any case of sexual assault. You can also reach out to the Vermont Network by calling the 24-hour hotline 1-800-489-7273.

You can report child sex abuse to local law enforcement or contact the Vermont Department for Children and Families by calling the hotline at 1-800-649-5285.

After making a report to local law enforcement, you may also report the abuse to the Diocese of Burlington if you wish.