May 4, 2026, 3:33 PM

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Updated

A proposed $800 million settlement could resolve more than 1,000 child sex abuse cases involving the New York archdiocese — but for one Middletown survivor, the terms after decades of emotional anguish don’t amount to justice.

“My childhood was stolen from me. It was taken away from me,” said Leonard Filipowski.

Filipowski is among the survivors who have filed abuse claims against the New York archdiocese. His case centers on allegations that he was abused as a child at Holy Cross Church in Middletown by the late Father George Boxelaar, who died while living overseas in the 1990s.

News 12 has also learned that eight more men have filed lawsuits involving the same priest. Those lawsuits allege the men were abused hundreds of times over decades, dating back to the late 1960s.

“I’ve never heard an apology,” Filipowski said.

Court documents reviewed by News 12 show church leaders were made aware of allegations against Boxelaar in the 1980s — and that criminal charges were dropped as the priest retired.

Filipowski’s case could now be part of the archdiocese’s proposed settlement, which could resolve more than 1,300 claims.

In a May 1 message from Archbishop Ronald A. Hicks, the archdiocese said it is working with the Plaintiff’s Liaison Committee toward a global settlement of sex abuse lawsuits, with the goal of compensating survivors “faster and more efficiently than the traditional legal process.”

Hicks wrote that the archdiocese has sold off much of its real estate and made significant cuts to staffing and operations to help fund compensation for survivors.

In recent months, churches across the Hudson Valley have been consolidated and some Catholic schools have closed.

The archdiocese also said all survivors would need to agree to the deal. If not, it could pursue bankruptcy — a move that could delay cases and reduce potential payouts.

“If a single survivor says no to it then there’s no settlement,” Filipowski said. "We are being bullied into an agreement."

Filipowski says his attorney told him that after fees and expenses, many survivors may only receive a fraction of the settlement money.

“No amount of money will ever take away the pain,” Filipowski said. “For me, this still isn’t justice."

The archdiocese declined to comment on specific cases, saying only that settlement talks are ongoing and no final agreement has been reached.