Sexual abuse scandal in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles

The sexual abuse scandal in the Los Angeles archdiocese covered events that were documented beginning in the 1930s, but most publicity was related to events of the 1970s through 1990s. Priests accused of molesting children or adults in the parish were typically reassigned, without informing new parishes of charges against them, as the church protected its staff.

In 1989, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles established its first policies to avert sexual abuse by clergy of minors. Policies for investigating sexual abuse allegations were established in 1994. In 2002, a zero-tolerance policy toward sexual abuse was enacted and the archdiocese suspended 12 priests from public ministry. That same year, it started an unsuccessful court battle to shield the personnel records of clergy accused of sexual abuse. The archdiocese released an apology to victims of sexual abuse along with a report on clergy with credible accusations in 2004.

The archdiocese reached a $60 million sexual abuse settlement in 2006, then a $660 million settlement with 508 victims the next year. Changes in the laws in 2019 and 2023 led to a large increase in sexual abuse lawsuits against the archdiocese. In October 2024, in an attempt to settle all outstanding sexual abuse claims, the archdiocese announced a $880 million settlement for 1,350 victims of 300 clergy, bringing their total payouts to more than $1.5 billion.

By 2025, 15 priests, one permanent deacon and one religious brother, all of whom had worked in the archdiocese, had been convicted or pleaded guilty to felonies or misdemeanors related to sexual abuses. Their charges included possession of child pornography, sexual battery and commission of lewd acts. Their sentences ranged from probation to 20 years in state prison.