NY Bishop Hubbard Faces Seventh Sexual Abuse Lawsuit

Former NY Bishop Howard Hubbard is facing a seventh lawsuit of child sexual abuse. The recent claim details abuse that allegedly occurred four decades ago.

Clergy Abuse News

Howard Hubbard, retired bishop of the Albany Diocese in New York, was named in a seventh clergy abuse lawsuit

The latest lawsuit, like the six before it, was filed under the New York Child Victims Act. It accuses Hubbard of child sexual abuse. Hubbard denies all sexual abuse allegations but is not in active ministry at this time.

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Survivor Accuses Hubbard Of Molestation

According to the most recent lawsuit, Hubbard molested the male plaintiff in the rectory during a church carnival in 1977. The plaintiff was 11 years old at the time of the incident. He is now in his 50s and has chosen to remain anonymous in the lawsuit filing.

“For a period of time I experienced a lot of anger toward religion, towards God, my beliefs. And over a period of time I just realized that there’s just bad eggs. There’s certain people that are just rotten people, and Bishop Hubbard is just one of those people.”

Plaintiff, AnonymousTimes Union

The lawsuit also names the Diocese of Albany and St. Edward the Confessor Roman Catholic Church in Clifton Park. The lawsuit seeks punitive damages from the diocese and church for failing to protect the victim from abuse.

Punitive damages are awarded to a plaintiff on top of simple compensation. They are meant to financially punish the defendant for egregious or negligent action.

Due to Hubbard’s former rank as a bishop, the New York Archdiocese, rather than the local diocese, is leading an internal investigation into the allegations. Hubbard continues to deny all allegations of bishop abuse.

“In the meantime, Bishop Hubbard is not serving in active ministry and has not been since the initial lawsuits (accusing him) were filed in 2019.”

Mary DeTurris Poust, Communications Director for the Albany DioceseTimes Union

New York Dioceses Face Hundreds Of Abuse Claims

Hubbard is one of many Catholic priests in New York and across the country facing priest abuse allegations. Survivors have accused priests and Catholic dioceses in hundreds of civil lawsuits. 

In fact, four out of the eight Catholic dioceses in New York have filed for bankruptcy to handle the growing number of abuse claims. 

Many of the more recent clergy abuse lawsuits in New York have been made possible through the New York Child Victims Act. The law extended the state’s legal deadlines for child sexual abuse. Additionally, it opened a one-year retroactive window for older cases of abuse. 

This legal “look back” window revives all older cases of child sexual abuse that would otherwise be time-barred. Thanks to this window, hundreds of survivors abused decades ago have been able to seek legal justice.


If you are a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault or a serious physical assault, you may have legal rights. Our team of attorneys is here to help you seek justice against predators and the organizations that cover up or ignore your abuse. Learn more about your legal options, the claims process and potential compensation.

Request a free, confidential abuse case evaluation by calling or sending a message through our secure contact form.

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