NY Bishop Hubbard Faces Seventh Sexual Abuse Lawsuit

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.