New York Jury Awards $11.3 Million to a Former Player in a Church Basketball Program Over Childhood Sexual Abuse

A New York jury has ordered Riverside Church in Manhattan to pay $11.3 million to a man who said he was sexually abused as a child while taking part in the church's basketball program, according to an item posted October 8 in BishopAccountability.org's Abuse Tracker, which aggregates news coverage of abuse in religious institutions. The listing says the verdict was returned on Wednesday, October 7, and that the plaintiff was a former player in the program.

The Abuse Tracker entry is the basis for the details summarized here, and it reflects a civil jury's damages award rather than a criminal finding. This site does not name the accused, and readers who want the underlying news coverage — including the church's response and whether it plans to appeal — can follow the link to the tracker listing and the original report it points to.