In 2018, the New Orleans archdiocese took a significant step towards transparency by releasing a list of clergymen credibly accused of misconduct. This move came in response to public outrage over a scandal involving a deacon, George Brignac, who faced multiple criminal charges for child sexual abuse yet continued to serve at masses. Despite being removed from public ministry in 1988, Brignac was allowed to read at masses until the story broke in 2018. This revelation prompted the archdiocese to act, aiming to rebuild trust within the community.
The scandal deepened when a federal judge ruled a 2021 Louisiana law unconstitutional, which had previously enabled survivors of clergy abuse to seek damages for incidents dating back decades. This legal setback frustrated many seeking justice and added yet another layer of controversy to the ongoing crisis within the archdiocese. Meanwhile, critical emails between the New Orleans Saints and the church remained concealed for years before being subpoenaed in July 2019. The communication delay raised questions about the extent of the relationship between the two organizations.
Upon release, these emails uncovered a close alliance between the Saints and the archdiocese. They revealed correspondence between Bensel, the team's lawyer, and McDonald, the archdiocese's spokesperson. Bensel suggested issuing a statement to commend Gayle Benson's support for the church during her initial year owning both the Saints and Pelicans.
“My personal relationship with the archbishop aside, I believe he has shown tremendous leadership and guidance through this very tough time. In my opinion, he has dealt with this very sad issue head on, with great resolve and determination to do the right thing and to do it as fully transparent as he is allowed.” – Benson
The archdiocese eventually filed for bankruptcy in May 2020, leading to the public release of these emails. The documents highlighted how the Saints had collaborated to project a positive image of the archdiocese amidst the clergy-abuse crisis. The emails also showed that the Saints used their platform to promote various charitable programs affiliated with the archdiocese, including a food bank that received a $3.5 million donation from Gayle in 2019.
However, despite these efforts, the controversy surrounding George Brignac persisted. Church officials had removed Brignac from ministry following his multiple arrests on child molestation charges in 1988. Yet, they inexplicably allowed him to continue reading at masses well into 2018.
“We simply requested information from them. We requested documents from them, and they provided us documents of people that they believe were responsible for abuse.” – Cannizzaro
“No one associated with our organizations made recommendations or had input on the individual names of those disclosed on the list.” – The Saints' statement
Brignac's death in 2020 while awaiting trial on charges dating back to the late 1970s and early 1980s marked an end to one chapter of this troubling saga but left many questions unanswered.
“The questions that Mr Lauscha suggested were intended to encourage openness and transparency.” – The Saints' statement