BUFFALO, N.Y. — A downstate judge ruled Tuesday that the court will consider arguments by news organizations that secret files of the Buffalo Diocese should be released.
Last year, the diocese filed a lawsuit in court attempting to prevent the New York State Attorney General’s Office from releasing to the public documents it subpoenaed as part of its investigation.
At stake are 25,000 pages of internal abuse records detailing the cover-up, used in the AG’s 2020 lawsuit that alleged the diocese protected priests accused of child sexual abuse by quietly moving them.
Acquired through a civil subpoena in 2018, survivors have also expressed to 2 On Your Side their desire for the documents to be made public.
The diocese claimed the release of records would “cause substantial injury” to its “competitive position.” It further argued that the court can’t accept the arguments made by the media, which a judge said is false.
In a statement to 2 On Your Side, the diocese said the files “have been shared with both the Office of the Attorney General and in the bankruptcy proceedings. Thus, they are not ‘secret’ files and have been provided to those that have the need to see them.”
Investigative Reporter Sean Mickey submitted an affidavit in court, fighting for the release of the files.
“This proceeding clearly involves issues of important public interest,” Judge Shahabuddeen Abid Ally wrote. He also said the arguments made by the media may be of “special assistance” to the court.
The bankrupt diocese, which claims transparency, has spent over $100,000 in legal fees in this effort. They will now be given an opportunity to respond prior to oral arguments in court.
“This decision enables news organizations to advocate for the public interest regarding the Diocese of Buffalo and its ongoing decisions to conceal the truth. If the Diocese truly has survivors’ best interest at heart, it should disclose the files and documents that have long been concealed,” wrote Jeff Anderson & Associates, a firm that represents abuse survivors.
More than 250 priests and nuns were accused of sexual misconduct in the Buffalo Diocese.
