LOUISIANA CLERGY SEXUAL ABUSE LAWSUITS

Representing Child & Adult Catholic Church Sexual Abuse Cases in Louisiana

There have been multiple claims of child sexual abuse in all seven of the Roman Catholic dioceses in Louisiana since 1985 when a priest charged with the crime was found guilty and charged with sexual abuse. The church has long been accused of covering up and reporting child sexual abuse to protect itself, not the victims. 

Based on a recent ruling by the Louisiana Supreme Court, coupled with a recent change in the law, survivors of childhood sexual abuse in Louisiana, whose claims were barred by statute of limitations now have until June 14, 2027, to file a lawsuit against those responsible for the abuse. 

Levy Konigsberg is assisting survivors all around the state of Louisiana to help them use the opportunity created by this new law to pursue their legal options and get the justice they deserve from the Catholic Church. Our Louisiana clergy sexual abuse attorneys have gained national recognition for their efforts to defend victims of both adult and child sexual abuse.

How Do Catholic Church Sexual Abuse Lawsuits Work?

 Levy Konigsberg has extensive experience representing survivors of sexual abuse in legal actions against the Catholic Church, its various dioceses, archdioceses, and independent Catholic institutions. These lawsuits not only hold abusers accountable but also enable survivors to hold institutions responsible for their failure to prevent abuse. 

In civil court, survivors can seek justice and receive compensation for their mistreatment. Unlike criminal court, which focuses on punishing abusers, civil court aims to financially compensate those who have suffered abuse. While no amount of money can erase the trauma endured by victims of sexual abuse, compensation can help cover medical expenses, therapy costs, emotional distress, and pain and suffering.

Since civil cases are distinct and separate from any criminal proceedings, you may still pursue legal action even if your abuser was never criminally charged or convicted.

History of Sexual Abuse in Louisiana Catholic Dioceses

Through extensive investigations, legal filings, and monetary settlements, it has become evident that child sexual abuse has deeply plagued Louisiana Catholic churches for decades. A significant factor has been the efforts of Catholic bishops to conceal these offenses and transfer the abusers to other parishes, where they often maintained unsupervised contact with young people.

As lawsuits continue to emerge and media coverage intensifies, more information has come to light. The latest information on sexual abuse in regards to the Catholic Church in Louisiana includes the following:

• Authorities have widened their investigation into clergy sexual abuse within the Roman Catholic Church in New Orleans. This expansion now involves senior church officials who are suspected of protecting predatory priests over several decades and not informing law enforcement about their crimes.  In April 2024,The Louisiana State Police executed a comprehensive search warrant at the Archdiocese of New Orleans. The warrant aimed to uncover a hidden collection of church records and communications between local church leaders and the Vatican concerning how cases of clergy sexual abuse were handled.

• In 2023, Lawrence Hecker, a 91-year-old priest, was accused of choking and sexually assaulting a teenage boy back in 1975. Investigations revealed that the Archdiocese of New Orleans  allowed him to keep working around children till he retired in 2002 without reporting his crimes to the police.  Hecker was charged with four felonies: theft, aggravated crime against nature, kidnapping, and rape.

• In July 2020, a survivor of clergy abuse filed a lawsuit against the Diocese of Shreveport, alleging that he was abused as a child by former Catholic priest William Allison. The alleged abuse occurred before 1986 when the Shreveport diocese was part of the Diocese of Alexandria. Incidentally, In 2019, the Alexandria Diocese included Allison on its list of priests with credible abuse allegations.  Furthermore, survivors have come forward with abuse accusations against Allison in New Mexico, California, and Arizona. Allison died in 1987.

• A 2019 news report stated that seventeen priests who served in Northern Louisiana faced accusations of sexually abusing minors before 1986. These priests were originally from the Diocese of Alexandria but later served in parishes that were integrated into the Diocese of Shreveport after 1986.

• In 1985, Gilbert Gauthe confessed to sexually abusing 37 boys and pleaded guilty to 34 criminal charges. Concerns about Father Gauthe were already known to the diocese as early as the mid-1970s when parents reported that he had kissed two boys. Instead of addressing the issue, the diocese chose to relocate him to a different parish. Following Gauthe’s arrest, several other priests in the same diocese were also accused of sexually abusing children. Gauthe agreed to a plea deal, was sentenced to 20 years in prison and released after 10 years.

List of Priests Accused of Abuse in Louisiana

Many Louisiana Catholic Church priests have been credibly accused of sexual abuse. ProPublica has developed a searchable database containing the names of those who have been deemed credibly accused. This list is regularly updated to include new credible allegations. The number of those listed are:

• Archdiocese of New Orleans – 65
• Diocese of Alexandria – 31
• Diocese of Baton Rouge – 45
• Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux – 14
• Diocese of Lafayette – 37
• Diocese of Lake Charles – 13
• Diocese of Shreveport – 26

Do I Have A Case?

You may have a sexual abuse claim against the Catholic Church if:

• You were sexually abused as a minor or an adult within the Church.
• The abuser was a priest, clergy member, or some other Church volunteer or employee.
• Your abuse occurred at any time in the past.

As with civil sexual abuse cases, claims filed with the bankruptcy settlement fund are separate from any criminal proceedings that may arise from abuse. Instead, they focus on holding the Archdiocese liable for damages. This means you may still have a claim even if:

• Your abuser is no longer alive.
• Your abuser was never charged or convicted of a crime.

Determining whether you have grounds to pursue a claim can be challenging, which is why our team at Levy Konigsberg is readily available to help.

Recoverable Damages in Sexual Abuse Claims

In addition to providing accountability and a sense of justice, civil sex abuse lawsuits allow survivors to recover financial compensation for their damages, which may include:

• Past medical and mental health expenses
• Future mental health expenses, including therapy, medications, etc.
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional anguish and psychological harm
• Lost income
• Other economic and non-economic damages

Louisiana Sexual Abuse Attorneys

A statute of limitations is a legal time limit for starting legal proceedings after an alleged offense. In Louisiana, victims of child sex abuse could previously only file claims against their abusers and those who enabled the abuse before they turned 28 years old.

In 2021, Louisiana lawmakers passed a “lookback window” bill allowing abuse survivors to file civil lawsuits against their abusers regardless of when the abuse occurred, within three years (ending June 2024). Recently, they extended this period until June 14, 2027.