A Catholic school in California, St. Brigid Academy, has closed its doors after 138 years, primarily due to financial difficulties. This decision follows the Archdiocese of San Francisco agreeing to a substantial settlement of nearly $400 million for victims of alleged clergy sexual abuse, marking one of the largest settlements of its kind.
On Thursday, families were surprised and confused when they learned the school would be permanently shutting down, and that their annual tuition deposit of $20,950 would be returned later this summer.
The closure comes shortly after the archdiocese announced a $395 million settlement aimed at compensating around 530 individuals who claim they suffered sexual abuse by clergy during their childhood. This information was reported by the San Francisco Chronicle.
St. Brigid Academy, which began operating in 1888, had recently been restructured into a K-12 microschool with mixed-age classrooms. The school was known for maintaining a 4:1 student-to-teacher ratio and focused on providing customized education for neurodivergent gifted students.
Chris Fisher, the Superintendent of Archdiocesan Catholic Schools, expressed regret in a letter to families, stating, “After thoroughly reviewing the school’s finances and exhausting all available options, we deeply regret that the school can no longer operate sustainably and fulfill its mission.” He acknowledged the disappointment and distress this announcement caused for families who relied on St. Brigid’s for their children’s education.
With classes set to begin soon, parents are now rushing to find alternative schools, with concerns that securing spots in specialized programs may be challenging as the admissions season wraps up.
The recent settlement follows the archdiocese declaring Chapter 11 bankruptcy in August 2023, which occurred after the civil statute of limitations was briefly lifted under the California Child Victims Act. This legislation permitted survivors to pursue claims related to alleged past sexual abuse from January 1, 2020, through December 31, 2022.
The settlement agreement aims for increased transparency within the archdiocese, including a ban on non-disclosure agreements in future settlements and requiring more comprehensive disclosure of alleged abusers.
Notably, as of 2023, the Archdiocese of San Francisco was the only Catholic diocese in California that had not made public a list of priests who had been credibly accused of child sexual abuse, according to attorneys representing the plaintiffs.
Jeff Anderson, an attorney for the plaintiffs, mentioned that a committee of survivors would collaborate with lawyers to negotiate the agreement and allow each survivor a vote on the finalized terms.
This agreement represents, as Anderson put it, “the strongest non-economic settlement ever undertaken in this country,” emphasizing a long-standing collaborative effort that has been in the making for several years.
After the passage of the California Child Victims Act, which led to a flood of lawsuits against various individuals and organizations, the Archdiocese of San Francisco was one of the first dioceses to seek bankruptcy protection, followed by Santa Rosa, Oakland, and Sacramento.
The closure of St. Brigid Academy also coincides with the recent announcement from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland that it would shut down 13 parishes in East Bay, a decision influenced by financial strains related to numerous child sexual abuse lawsuits against clergy.
