Sex abuse claims in the Catholic Church in Texas

Texas has no active lookback window for historical childhood sexual abuse claims as of February 2026. The standard civil statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse in Texas extends 15 years after the survivor turns 18, capped at age 33. Survivors whose abuse occurred decades earlier and who are now over 33 face significant SoL barriers. Texas has considered, but not enacted, reviver window legislation comparable to New York's Child Victims Act or California's AB 218/250.

Texas lacks a general discovery rule toll for clergy abuse claims, making age-based deadlines hard. However, individual fraudulent concealment claims — arguing that the Diocese or archdiocese actively concealed abuse — can toll the SoL. The Dallas Morning News's 2002 investigation and subsequent Archdiocese of San Antonio and Diocese of Dallas reviews led to credible-accusation list publications, but these publications did not restart limitations periods for survivors already time-barred.

No Texas diocese has filed for bankruptcy protection as of February 2026, which distinguishes Texas from states with concentrated bankruptcy proceedings. Texas cases are filed in state district courts, primarily in counties where the abuse occurred. Harris County (Houston), Dallas County, Bexar County (San Antonio), and Travis County (Austin) courts have handled clergy abuse claims. Named defendants typically include the local diocese or archdiocese alongside individual clergy.

Texas survivors can contact the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault (TAASA) at 1-888-918-8272, SNAP's Texas chapter, and RAINN at 1-800-656-4673. Abuse within the Diocese of Dallas, Archdiocese of San Antonio, Diocese of Austin, Diocese of Fort Worth, Diocese of Galveston-Houston, Diocese of Beaumont, Diocese of Brownsville, Diocese of Corpus Christi, Diocese of El Paso, Diocese of Laredo, Diocese of Lubbock, Diocese of San Angelo, Diocese of Tyler, and Diocese of Victoria can be reported to those dioceses or to law enforcement directly.