San Francisco Catholic School Says Closure Has Nothing to Do With Massive Sex Abuse Settlements

On June 29, 2026, the Archdiocese of San Francisco announced a proposed $395 million settlement resolving more than 500 clergy sexual abuse claims while simultaneously filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Mary Alexander & Associates was honored to serve as counsel for survivors throughout this historic litigation. Shortly after the announcement, a prominent San Francisco Catholic school, St. Brigid’s, closed its doors, though Archdiocese representatives maintain the closure was unrelated to the settlement or bankruptcy. If you or someone you love was sexually abused at a Catholic school or other educational institution, an experienced San Francisco school sexual abuse attorney can help you understand your legal rights and pursue justice. Contact Mary Alexander & Associates for compassionate guidance.

Archdiocese Claims That Its Bankruptcy Had No Effect on School’s Closure

An Archdiocese representative quoted by SFGATE insisted that the bankruptcy filing and general controversy did not cause the school to shut down. That being said, many parents and students were taken completely off guard by the closure, which seemed to occur without any warning. The school is 138 years old, having first opened its doors in 1888. During this time, the school has not encountered any publicized issues with sexual abuse. However, it is worth noting that many incidents go unreported, while other lawsuits end with private settlements that do not require schools to publicly admit any wrongdoing.

The official reason for the closure is “declining enrollment,” something that is affecting countless public schools in San Francisco. For about a decade now, enrollment in public schools has been dropping, with approximately 4,000 fewer students than in 2012. According to current projections, enrollment will continue to decline by another 4,600 students over the next six years.

However, a very different story is playing out in private schools. Unlike their public counterparts, private schools in San Francisco have seen stable levels of enrollment with no real declines over the past decade. While lower birth rates are leading to fewer students across the board, private schools continue to be attractive for parents who want to avoid the public school system.

If private schools in San Francisco aren’t struggling to attract new students, then why did St. Brigid’s close down due to low enrollment? Some say that the school mistakenly reduced its enrollment on purpose while pursuing a “micro-school” model. In the end, only 40 students were enrolled. On the other hand, one has to wonder whether the optics of sex abuse scandals in the Catholic church have caused some parents to veer away from educational institutions connected to the Archdiocese.

Archdiocese Agrees to Settle for $395 Million After Three Years of Negotiations

For the past three years, a committee of nine clergy abuse survivors has been negotiating with the San Francisco Archdiocese on behalf of over 500 other survivors. In late June, they were successful in recovering a settlement of $395 million. Each survivor will likely receive hundreds of thousands of dollars without having to go to court.

The settlement also includes a 14-point plan to protect children from future abuse. This includes the hiring of an “independent child protection consultant” who will file regular reports on the Archdiocese’s website.

Another major part of this plan is the release of a list of “credibly accused” clergy members, something survivors have been trying to secure for many years. The plan also requires all survivors to be released from any existing non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), allowing them to speak freely about past cases. Perhaps most notably, clergy members are now banned from texting both adults and children privately.

Archdiocese Faces Criticism for Allegedly Using Bankruptcy to Keep Secrets

Some have criticized the Archdiocese for seeking Chapter 11 protection, accusing it of using the bankruptcy process to keep certain details secret. Legal professionals understand that the Chapter 11 process immediately pauses all lawsuits from moving forward. Bankruptcy also prevents “discovery” from moving forward, an important pre-trial process that allows victims and their lawyers to uncover key information.

Although bankruptcy does not prevent the $395 million settlement, it stops other victims from proceeding with their cases. Some prefer to “have their day in court” rather than settle.

“Priest Shuffling” Can Easily Move Sex Abusers to Schools

While certain Catholic schools in San Francisco may have clean records as far as sexual abuse goes, there is no denying that clergy members often teach at these institutions. What makes this even more concerning is the fact that the Archdiocese of San Francisco regularly engaged in a practice called “priest shuffling,” which involves moving a clergy member accused of sexual abuse to a new role or area.

Sometimes, these transfers shifted alleged sex abusers to Catholic schools. A particularly well-known case involved the Salesians of Don Bosco in California, in which priests known for sexually abusing children were shuffled from one school to the next.

Can a School Sexual Abuse Lawyer in San Francisco Help Me?

While one can only speculate as to why a prominent Catholic school would shut down 24 hours after the Archdiocese’s bankruptcy announcement, the truth is that school sexual abuse is a pervasive issue in the Bay Area. Survivors have the right to explore their legal options alongside school sexual abuse attorneys in San Francisco to potentially recover fair compensation for everything they have endured. To learn more about the next steps, consider contacting Mary Alexander & Associates at 866-450-3473.