Jesuit order confirms $50M Alaska Native deal

Tuesday, November 20, 2007  

A Jesuit order based in Oregon confirmed it will pay $50 million to settle an Alaska Native abuse case.

Rev. John Whitney, who is the provincial superior for the Society of Jesus, apologized to the victims of sexual abuse. The 110 plaintiffs, most of them men, said they were abused as children during the 1960s and 1970s.

James Niksik, 48, was one of the victims. He said he was pleased that the Jesuit order finally acknowledged the abuse.

There have been larger abuse settlements but the lawyer for the plaintiffs said the case is the largest for a small group of plaintiffs.

Get the Story:
Jesuit abuse settlement aims to heal (The Anchorage Daily News 11/20)
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For sex abuse victims, settlement doesn’t mean case is over (The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner 11/20)
Diocese ponders bankruptcy in dealing with settlement (The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner 11/20)

Related Stories:
Settlement reported in Alaska Native abuse case (11/19)
Alaska Native group to address sexual abuse issues (3/24)
Jesuit superior apologizes for testimony in abuse suit (3/19)
Alaska village woman files suit alleging priest abuse (03/16)
Reverend claims Native culture loose on sexual matters (3/8)