San Francisco Archdiocese Wins Stay on Swiss Re Unit Abuse Suit

A Swiss Re AG insurance unit must wait to pursue a suit seeking to avoid covering more than 100 claims against the Archdiocese of San Francisco alleging clergy sex abuse.

Westport Insurance Corp., an excess insurer for the archdiocese, has to pause its efforts to deny coverage while the Catholic institution works to settle underlying survivor claims in state court, according to a Tuesday order in the US District Court for the Northern District of California.

The underlying plaintiffs allege the archdiocese permitted, denied, and hid sexual abuse by priests and other employees for decades, and that the abuse was ...