However, Caramanno said he hopes to feel some semblance of closure to the six‑year legal battle if an $800 million settlement proposed by the Archdiocese of New York to resolve more than 1,300 claims of child sexual abuse is finalized.
Caramanno, who is now a high school teacher at the New York Harbor School on Governor’s Island, alleges the abuse was carried out by then Rev. John Paddack, then a dean and guidance counselor at the school, who later also worked at Monsignor Farrell High School.
Caramanno came forward publicly in 2019, in part because the accused cleric remained in ministry at the time, and subsequently filed a lawsuit under New York’s Child Victims Act.
“It does bring me a sense of relief knowing that, OK, this is where we are headed,” he said of the proposed agreement, whereby the archdiocese would also release the names of clergy with credible abuse allegations.
“I was surprised that it [the proposed settlement] came about so abruptly… this is the light at the end of the tunnel — six years of waiting and wondering coming to an end,“ said Caramanno in an interview with the Advance/SILive.com.
He described the experience as one that has taken a significant emotional toll, and has impacted a “huge chunk” of his life.
“From when I was 16 to when I filed the lawsuit, I was really all alone… and in the past six years it’s been a lot of waiting and wondering what was going to happen. It was also sad to learn about so many others — not just from my situation, but other victims of other priests and teachers and coaches — that was kind of tough to take.”
Over the past six years, he has received encouragement from family, friends, coworkers, former classmates and members of his church community. This support has helped him endure the legal process and feel less alone.
“In the past six years, I’ve been supported in many different ways by many different people, and there’s been comfort in that — that I wasn’t as alone as I had been while I was waiting and wondering what was going to happen. And when I say support, it’s not just family and friends — it’s coworkers, people I went to high school with, people from church, really all aspects of my life — and that has made it a bit easier, and also made it worth it in my eyes.
Paddack had stepped down from his post as monsignor at a Manhattan parish in 2019 amid several allegations of past sexual abuse. He served as principal of Monsignor Farrell High School in Oakwood from 2002 to 2010. Before that, he was academic dean and an educator at St. Joseph by-the-Sea High School.
The Archdiocese of New York didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment about the proposed settlement and to Caramanno’s allegations.
The proposed settlement
As part of the proposal, claimants could opt for a fast-track payment of about $250,000 or pursue individual evaluations that could result in higher payouts, reported the NY Post.
The potential agreement, which still requires approval from all accusers, would establish a compensation fund for survivors whose lawsuits were filed under New York’s Child Victims Act, according to CBS News.
Reports say church officials and attorneys involved in the case said the deal is intended to avoid lengthy litigation — and the possibility that the archdiocese could file for bankruptcy, a move that could delay compensation for years.
The settlement would be one of the largest involving a Catholic diocese in the United States and follows years of legal battles stemming from allegations of abuse dating back decades.
To fund the agreement, the archdiocese has reportedly sold properties, cut staff and reduced operating expenses while continuing negotiations with insurers that could provide additional compensation, reports say.
For Caramanno, he said he is ready to put the ordeal behind him, expressing hope that the proposed settlement will allow survivors to finally reach some sense of closure.
“Something in terms of finality is better than more waiting,” he said, adding that he now wants to move forward with his life after years of uncertainty.