Diocesan statement after N.Y. AG announces plans to sue Diocese over St. Clare's pension crisis

The Diocese of Albany has released the following statement after New York Attorney General Letitia James announced plans May 24 to file a lawsuit against the Diocese of Albany over the pension crisis that has affected the 1,100 former employees of St. Clare’s Hospital in Schenectady:

“We are sympathetic to the plight of the St. Clare’s pensioners and want to see these hardships resolved as soon as possible,” the statement read. “We respectfully disagree with the attorney general’s decision to file this lawsuit.

“We have been in litigation for more than two years with the attorney general and the other parties. There are two lawsuits pending involving St. Clare’s before the court and there have been multiple depositions with substantial, exhaustive discovery regarding what has been alleged.

“This lawsuit seeks to replicate the same claims and the same allegations that are in the lawsuits currently pending before the court. Today’s announcement does not raise any new issues. It will only lead to more protracted proceedings which will further delay resolution of the case.”

In October of 2018, over 1,000 employees of St. Clare’s Hospital received a letter of notice that those drawing pensions would either begin receiving smaller checks, or would stop receiving their pension altogether by February 2019.