Priest Abuse In Louisiana

Louisiana Clergy Abuse Lawsuits

The Louisiana Catholic dioceses face hundreds of priest abuse lawsuits and legal claims. The recently enacted three-year retroactive window for survivors will likely lead to more lawsuits against the dioceses. 

Nearly 30 lawsuits against the Archdiocese of New Orleans were paused when the archdiocese filed for bankruptcy protection. However, several of the other Catholic dioceses in Louisiana still face active lawsuits. 

For example, in July 2020, a clergy abuse survivor filed a lawsuit against the Diocese of Shreveport. The survivor claims he was abused as a child by former Catholic priest William Allison. 

The alleged abuse took place long before the Diocese of Shreveport was formed. Prior to 1986, the area was part of the Alexandria Diocese. 

In 2019, the Alexandria Diocese listed Allison on its list of priests facing credible abuse allegations. Additionally, survivors have named Allison in abuse allegations in New Mexico, California and Arizona. 

Allison passed away in 1987.

Louisiana Priest Abuse Settlements

The Louisiana Catholic dioceses have paid millions of dollars in settlements to clergy abuse survivors. For example, during the course of six years, the New Orleans Archdiocese reportedly paid more than $3 million to survivors of one abusive clergy member. 

In many cases, survivors who accepted settlements from the archdiocese were not allowed to disclose the monetary amount of the settlement. This has been a common practice among Catholic dioceses facing abuse allegations. Because of this practice, many settlement awards remain unknown to the general public. 

Archdiocese Of New Orleans Bankruptcy

On May 1, 2020, the Archdiocese of New Orleans filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

The New Orleans Archdiocese is one of nearly 30 Catholic dioceses that have filed for bankruptcy. The archdiocese gave two reasons for its decision:

• The archdiocese is facing a growing number of clergy abuse lawsuits.
• The archdiocese lost revenue because of pandemic-related social distancing measures.

In September 2020, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court set a bar date for abuse claims against the dioceses. Any survivor seeking compensation from the archdiocese had to file a claim through the bankruptcy court by March 1, 2021. 

When the filing deadline closed, nearly 400 survivors had filed claims.

Child Sex Abuse Statutes Of Limitations In Louisiana

On June 14, 2021, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards signed House Bill 492 (HB 492) into law. HB 492 expanded legal protections for survivors of child sexual abuse in two ways:

• HB 492 eliminated the state’s statute of limitations for civil claims of child sexual abuse.
• HB 492 created a legal “look back” window to revive expired civil claims of child sexual abuse.

Civil Statutes For Child Sex Abuse In Louisiana

In Louisiana, there is no civil statute of limitations for child sexual abuse claims. HB 492 eliminates the prior statute that required a survivor of child sex abuse to file an abuse claim before they turned 28 years of age.

For people sexually abused as children before HB 492 passed, the law provides a three-year “look back” window. During this period, victims can file a claim no matter how long ago the sexual abuse happened. After the “look back” window expires, older abuse claims may be time-barred and subject to the old statute’s 28-years-of-age cutoff.

Louisiana’s “Look Back” Window

HB 492 creates a three-year “look back” window. This retroactive window revives all expired civil claims of child sexual abuse in Louisiana. 

For three years, survivors of childhood sexual abuse can file a lawsuit against an abuser or an entity that covered up abuse, regardless of when the abuse took place. Many survivors of clergy abuse were abused decades ago. This new statute gives these survivors a renewed chance at justice. 

The three-year window opened on August 1, 2021. The window will close on July 31, 2024.

Criminal Statutes For Child Sex Abuse In Louisiana

In Louisiana, there is no criminal statute of limitations for aggravated and forcible rape. For all other sexual felonies, prosecutors must bring charges before the victim turns 48 years old. Learn more about Louisiana’s criminal statutes of child sexual abuse here.

List Of Priests Accused Of Abuse In Louisiana

This list includes Louisiana priests accused of abuse and other diocesan clergy members facing similar allegations. 

This list does not include diocesan staff or volunteers facing abuse claims. However, you may still be able to file a lawsuit against these abusive individuals. 

We are here to help. Contact our legal team today if you or a loved one was abused by a Louisiana clergy member.

History Of Clergy Abuse In Louisiana

In 1985, Louisiana became one of the first states to publicly acknowledge the priest abuse scandal in the Catholic Church. 

Gilbert Gauthe was a priest in the Diocese of Lafayette and a chaplain for the Boy Scouts of America. In 1985, Gauthe confessed to sexually abusing 37 children in Louisiana. However, some experts believe he may have abused more than 100 victims before he was criminally charged. 

The Lafayette Diocese paid millions to settle claims with Gauthe’s victims.

FBI Opens Investigation Into Child Sex Abuse in the New Orleans Archdiocese

In 2022, a report revealed that the FBI is investigating clergy abuse in the New Orleans Archdiocese. Specifically, the agency is looking into cases of clergy members taking children across state lines to molest them. These cases cover decades of abuse allegations.

Among the priests under investigation is Lawrence Hecker. The 90-year-old priest is already accused of abusing many children. In 2002, the archdiocese removed him from work involving regular contact with community members.

The fact that the archdiocese filed for bankruptcy in 2020 does not shield it from criminal investigation. The FBI may decide to file criminal charges against abusive priests and the archdiocese. The investigation may also signal a change in the federal government’s willingness to look into cases of church sex abuse. In the past, it has rarely gotten involved in this type of case.

Louisiana Priest Abuse Victim Resources

Survivors of sexual violence, such as child sexual abuse, often suffer long-term effects related to their trauma. However, survivors don’t have to suffer or come to terms with the abuse on their own. There are state and local resources available to abuse survivors. 

Call the Louisiana statewide hotline at 1-888-411-1333 to find resources near you.

Louisiana Priest Abuse FAQs

What Is The Statute Of Limitations On Priest Sexual Abuse In Louisiana?

Currently, any survivor can file a civil claim of child sexual abuse in the state of Louisiana. As of 2021, Louisiana has no deadline for filing child sexual abuse cases. 

For people abused as children before the law changed, Louisiana has an open “look back” window that revives most child sexual abuse claims. The window closes on July 31, 2024, so survivors should file a claim soon. Once the window closes, their claim may be time-barred and subject to the previous statute of limitations. 

Learn more about child sexual abuse statutes in Louisiana here >

How Do I Report Sexual Abuse By A Priest In Louisiana?

Incidents of child abuse, including child sexual abuse, can be reported to the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). Call the department’s reporting hotline at 855-4LA-KIDS (52-5437).

Learn more about reporting sexual abuse and assault here >

After you report incidents of clergy abuse to the DCFS, you can also report the abuse to the applicable diocese.