ILLINOIS CLERGY SEXUAL ABUSE LAWSUITS

Representing Clergy Abuse Lawsuits in Illinois

In a 2023 report released by the Illinois Attorney General, investigators found evidence of pervasive sexual abuse committed by priests and clergy members across the state, as well as systemic failures within the state’s Catholic dioceses to protect children and stop abusive clergy.

Now, survivors are stepping forward to seek justice and hold the Catholic Church accountable for its inexcusable failures. At Levy Konigsberg, our Illinois Catholic Church abuse attorneys are actively reviewing cases from survivors who may have sexual abuse claims against any Catholic diocese in the state.

• Do I have grounds for a clergy abuse lawsuit?
• How do Catholic Church lawsuits work?
• What types of damages can I recover?
• How long do I have to file?
• History of abuse by the Illinois Catholic Church
• High-profile clergy abuse settlements in Illinois
• How our clergy abuse lawyers can help

Illinois Attorney General Report Reveals Long History of Child Abuse & Cover-Ups by Catholic Clergy

In May 2023, the Office of the Illinois Attorney General released a report detailing the findings of a sweeping, multi-year investigation that found nearly 2,000 children were abused by hundreds of members of the Catholic clergy in Illinois.

Cases of child sexual abuse in the report date back decades and included parishes in all six of Illinois’ Catholic dioceses:

• Archdiocese of Chicago – 275 abusers
• Diocese of Belleville – 43 abusers
• Diocese of Joliet – 69 abusers
• Diocese of Peoria – 51 abusers
• Diocese of Rockford – 24 abusers
• Diocese of Springfield – 32 abusers

According to a statement from Attorney General Kwame Raoul, the investigation began in 2018 and involved meticulous examination of more than 100,000 diocesan files. Investigators also interviewed Church officials and met with survivors to draft narrative accounts of their experiences.

A sweeping investigation into Illinois’ Catholic Dioceses found that the Church’s hierarchy severely underreported the number of children abused by clergy members over the past seven decades. Read our blog for more information.

Here are some additional details from the 696-page report:

• Investigators found 1,997 children across Illinois were abused by clergy between 1950 and 2019, far more than the 103 individuals identified by the Church when the investigation began in 2018.
• The total number of abusers identified by the investigation was 451 priests and clergy members, some of whom ministered in more than one Illinois diocese.
• Illinois dioceses deemed only 26% of the allegations they received to be credible, and either failed to investigate or deemed the remaining 74% unsubstantiated.
• Evidence uncovered by investigators revealed that all dioceses in Illinois routinely failed to protect children and hold abusers accountable, often by moving known or suspected abusers to different parishes, mishandling investigations, or turning a blind-eye to complaints.

The Illinois Attorney General report shines a spotlight on the pervasiveness of child sexual abuse within Catholic Churches across the state, as well as the dioceses’ systemic failures and cover-ups.

The findings are particularly shocking considering the limited number of survivors and abusive Catholic priests publicly identified by Church leadership prior to the investigation. According to investigators, the limited information provided by the Church was yet another indication that the Church’s hierarchy routinely kept known abusers under wraps and nearly always prioritized abusers over victims.

A preliminary report conducted by the previous Illinois Attorney General, Lisa Madigan, similarly found that the actual list of accused clergy and abused minors was far more than the number of individuals named publicly by the Church. That preliminary report also found that the church’s six Illinois dioceses were woefully inadequate in investigating accusations, and in many cases failed to investigate claims entirely and failed to notify authorities.

Advocates believe that the total number of survivors is likely even higher than the number identified in the AG’s report. If you are a survivor, Levy Konigsberg can help advocate for you.

High-Profile Clergy Abuse Settlements in Illinois

In addition to the latest Illinois Attorney General report, numerous legal filings and high-profile settlements have added to the mountain of evidence that the Church’s six Illinois dioceses routinely failed to protect children and church members from abusive clergy. Some notable cases include:

• In August 2022, the Chicago Archdiocese agreed to pay $1.75 million to settle a lawsuit brought by a woman who claimed she was repeatedly abused as a child in the 1980s by Carmelite priest Robert Boley, who taught at the now-closed St. Cyril Catholic School in Woodlawn. During litigation, it was revealed that the Church transferred Boley to Chicago from Los Angeles, where he had been accused of abusing other children.
• In February 2022, the Chicago Archdiocese paid $800,000 to settle five cases of alleged abuse that occurred between the 1960s and 1970s. The settlement named Father George Clements, Father Daniel Holihan, Father Joseph Fitzharris, Father Michael Weston, and Brother Edward Courtney as the abusers.
• In June 2021, the Archdiocese of Chicago reached an $880,000 settlement with two men who claimed they were abused as children by Norbert Maday while they were alter boys and students at St. Bede the Venerable Elementary School. The men were among more than a dozen survivors who’ve sued over abuses committed by Maday between 1967 and 1986.
• In August 2018, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Joliet paid a $1.4 million settlement to three men who claimed they were molested as children by Father Leonard Mateo between 1980 and 1982. Records in the case revealed that Mateo has been repeatedly moved from parish to parish following allegations of sexual misconduct.
• In August 2013, the Catholic Diocese of Peoria reached a $1.35 million settlement filed by a former alter boy who claimed he was abused by Father Thomas Maloney and that Church leaders allowed the priest to remain in the ministry despite evidence of prior abuse. Prior to the case, the Peoria diocese reached a confidential settlement with two men who claim that they were abused by a different Peoria priest, Father Walter Breuning, during the 1950s and 1960s.
• In August 2011, the Belleville Catholic Diocese paid $6.3 million to settle a case brought by a survivor who was abused by Father Raymond Kownacki. The settlement concluded years of appeals filed by the Diocese, which was initially ordered to pay $5 million by a jury that found Church officials knew of Kownacki’s abuse but continued to let him work in the parish.
• In August 2008, the Chicago Archdiocese paid more than $12.6 million to settle claims of clergy abuse brought by 16 survivors, and agreed to release information and files related to the cases. The settlement covered multiple cases of abuse involving 10 priests between 1962 and 1994.

Father John O’Connell

• In July 2026, a lawsuit was filed in the Circuit Court of Sangamon County against the Diocese of Springfield, alleging that Father John O’Connell repeatedly sexually abused a boy between approximately 1991 and 1994 at St. Mary’s Catholic School and Parish in Taylorville, Illinois.

The abuse allegedly occurred on church grounds.

The Archdiocese of Springfield allegedly enabled and concealed the abuse. 

Church officials allegedly knew of the risks of clergy sexual abuse but failed to protect children, investigate allegations, or remove dangerous priests from ministry.

Father George H. Clements

• In February 2022, the Archdiocese of Chicago reached an $800,000 settlement with a man who alleged Clements and four other priests sexually abused him in the 1970s.  

In April 2022, a second settlement was announced on behalf of another man who alleged Clements sexually abused him as a boy.

• In August 2019, the Archdiocese of Chicago asked Father George Clements to step aside from ministry pending the investigation of an allegation that he sexually abused a child between 1974 and 1979 while serving as pastor of Holy Angels Parish in Bronzeville. 

The allegation was referred to the archdiocesan Office for Child Abuse Investigations and Review by the Chicago Police Department and was also reported to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and the Cook County state’s attorney. 

Father John Calicott

• According to the Illinois Attorney General’s report, Father John Calicott allegedly sexually abused seven children across Chicago parishes between 1976 and 2002, with reported abuse occurring in Chicago and Kentucky. The Archdiocese first received a report of abuse in 1993.
• In 2004, Calicott was sued following allegations of abuse. 

A former parishioner alleged that Calicott abused him when he was a 12-year-old altar boy at St. Ailbe Church on Chicago’s South Side in the 1970s. 

• In April 1994, Calicott was suspended following allegations that he had been involved in a sexual incident with two 15-year-old boys in 1976.

Father John Curran

• According to the Illinois Attorney General’s report, Father John Curran allegedly sexually abused 40 children across multiple Illinois parishes between 1949 and the early 1980s, with reported abuse occurring in Chicago, Oak Park, Oak Lawn, and Burbank, among other locations. The Archdiocese first received a report of abuse in 1990 but did not remove Curran from public ministry until December 1994.
• In November 2025, two lawsuits were filed against the Archdiocese of Chicago accusing Curran of grooming two students at St. Christina Catholic School and Parish in the 1980s, sexually abusing them in his bedroom at the rectory. The lawsuits allege the Archdiocese was aware of complaints against Curran since the 1960s but repeatedly reassigned him to new parishes and schools rather than removing him from ministry.
• In April 2012, two men filed civil suits alleging abuse by Curran in 1987. At least one claim was included in a settlement by the Archdiocese in October 2005.

Father Norbert Maday

• According to the Illinois Attorney General’s report, Father Norbert Maday allegedly sexually abused 72 children across multiple Illinois parishes between 1965 and 1988, with reported abuse occurring in Chicago, Oak Lawn, Chicago Ridge, South Holland, and other locations. The alleged abuse included masturbation, groping, showing victims pornography, and encouraging them to consume alcohol before and during the abuse.

The Archdiocese first received a report of abuse in 1990 but placed Maday on limited ministry with restrictions rather than removing him. He was removed from public ministry in February 1992 and arrested in 1993.

• In June 2021, the Archdiocese of Chicago reached an $880,000 settlement with two former altar boys who alleged Maday sexually abused them at St. Bede the Venerable on the South Side and at several other locations between 1977 and 1983, beginning when they were 10 and 13 years old.
• In January 2014, a new lawsuit was filed against Maday, the Archdiocese, and another individual, alleging sexual abuse of children in the 1960s and 1970s at St. Leo Catholic Church and St. Louis de Montfort Catholic Church in Oak Lawn.
• In 1994, Maday was convicted of child sexual assault for molesting two teenage boys during separate 1986 parish outings in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. He served his full sentence and was released in 2013 after spending nine months in a secure treatment facility as a violent sexual predator. He was required to register as a sex offender.

Do I Have A Case?

You may have a sexual abuse claim against the Catholic Church if:

• You were sexually abused as a minor or an adult within the Church.
• The abuser was a priest, clergy member, or some other Church volunteer or employee.
• Your abuse occurred at any time in the past.

As with civil sexual abuse cases, claims filed with the bankruptcy settlement fund are separate from any criminal proceedings that may arise from abuse. Instead, they focus on holding the Archdiocese liable for damages. This means you may still have a claim even if:

• Your abuser is no longer alive.
• Your abuser was never charged or convicted of a crime.

Determining whether you have grounds to pursue a claim can be challenging, which is why our team at Levy Konigsberg is readily available to help.

Recoverable Damages in Sexual Abuse Claims

In addition to providing accountability and a sense of justice, civil sex abuse lawsuits allow survivors to recover financial compensation for their damages, which may include:

• Past medical and mental health expenses
• Future mental health expenses, including therapy, medications, etc.
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional anguish and psychological harm
• Lost income
• Other economic and non-economic damages

Illinois Sexual Abuse Attorneys

Sexual abuse lawsuits, like other claims brought by plaintiffs who seek damages for injuries, are subject to a legal deadline known as the statute of limitations. When the statute of limitations expires, victims will not be able to file a claim or recover compensation.

Determining the statute of limitations in your claim can be challenging, as there are many factors to consider. In Illinois, the statute of limitations for civil sexual abuse claims brought by victims who were abused as minors is generally as follows:

• Claims brought by survivors of childhood sexual abuse (abuse that occurred when the victim was under 18 years of age) may be commenced at any time for victims who were born on or after July 24, 1983.