NEW ORLEANS — In 2018, as the New Orleans Archdiocese prepared to release a list of priests accused of sexual abuse, the Archdiocese turned to an unlikely ally for damage control: the New Orleans Saints. The Saints’ executives, led by their president Dennis Lauscha, became deeply involved in managing the public relations fallout from the clergy abuse crisis, offering significant assistance to mitigate the impact.
Internal emails obtained by The Associated Press (AP) reveal a months-long effort by Saints’ officials to aid the church in handling its crisis. These emails, which had been kept private, indicate the extent to which Saints officials, including the team’s devoutly Catholic owner Gayle Benson, worked alongside the city’s archbishop, Gregory Aymond. This collaboration, while previously downplayed, involved a range of activities, including crisis communications, press strategy, and interactions with local media.
The records show that the Saints were not just providing “minimal” help, as previously claimed, but instead were intricately involved in shaping the church’s messaging. Among the key instances disclosed in the emails:
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A Saints spokesman briefed his boss on a crucial 2018 call with the city’s top prosecutor shortly before the list of accused priests was made public. The spokesman indicated that this call helped ensure certain names were removed from the list.
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Team officials were among the first to view the list, which ultimately revealed a disturbing roster of alleged child sexual abuse by clergy members.
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Saints president Lauscha even took the step of drafting a list of questions for Archbishop Aymond, helping him prepare for media scrutiny.
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The Saints’ senior vice president of communications, Greg Bensel, provided updates to Lauscha on local media interviews, signaling a close alignment between the Saints and the church. He assured Lauscha that Aymond was delivering the right messages, stating, “That is our message, that we will not stop here today."
The Saints’ involvement in the crisis response was so comprehensive that it raised questions about the extent to which the team’s leadership helped shield the church from the full fallout of the abuse allegations. The New Orleans district attorney at the time, Leon Cannizzaro, denied any involvement in influencing the list of accused priests, as indicated by the Saints’ spokesman’s report.
The emails reveal a broader collaboration involving various local institutions, including a U.S. District Judge who praised Bensel for his crisis communications efforts. In exchange, Saints’ officials asked media outlets to present a more sympathetic narrative around Archbishop Aymond’s leadership during the scandal.
This revelation comes at a time when the Archdiocese of New Orleans continues to deal with the legal and financial consequences of the abuse claims. In 2020, over 600 individuals filed lawsuits claiming to have been victims of clergy sexual abuse. Despite the Saints’ involvement in managing the PR fallout, the controversy surrounding their actions has left many, including victims of clergy abuse, feeling betrayed.
As the litigation continues, the public remains divided. Many survivors of clergy sexual abuse express disappointment in the Saints’ role, questioning why the team would use its influence to protect those responsible for the abuse. The investigation into the Archdiocese’s handling of the scandal has continued to draw attention, with law enforcement agencies including the FBI and Louisiana State Police now involved.
For further updates on this developing story, you can refer to the U.S. Department of Justice and National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
