Saturday, January 25, 2020

Saints Lending PR Advice to Local Archdiocese Raises Legal Questions



Saints executives were allegedly doing public relations damage control for the area’s Roman Catholic Archdiocese to help it contain the fallout from a sexual abuse crisis. The MMQB analyzes the situation from all perspectives.

The New Orleans Saints and a group of about two dozen adult men who contend they were victims of sexual abuse as children are at odds in a civil litigation brought against the Archdiocese of New Orleans in the Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans.
The men accused the Archdiocese of negligence, fraudulent concealment, public nuisance and vicarious liability related to the alleged sexual abuse of children. A central figure in the alleged abuse is George Brignac. Brignac, 85, was ordained as a deacon and employed by the Archdiocese as a teacher for many years.
Saints executives allegedly helped the Archdiocese manage external relations related to the Brignac controversy and related controversies. This assistance included emails that the Saints now refuse to turn over on account of confidentiality. Depending on the trajectory of the litigation, Saints executives could become witnesses in a high-profile clergy abuse case.
The moving around of an accused pedophile
Brignac is accused of being a serial child predator in the New Orleans area for decades. His superiors were repeatedly made aware of accusations and could have, at a minimum, prevented his continued access to children. Instead, they sent away with the knowledge that he could—and almost certainly would—abuse other children.
In 1977, Brignac was a teacher at St. Matthew School. He was arrested that year on three counts of indecent behavior with a juvenile. Brignac was found not guilty in a trial. Following the trial, the Archdiocese transferred Brignac to Holy Rosary School where he was again permitted to be alone with children. Brignac was also named co-director of the altar boy program at Our Lady of Rosary Parish.

Child sex abuse will never end in the Catholic Church.  It's ingrained within the religion itself.  Men are introduced to pedophilia while they study for the priesthood.  It's sad, but true.

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