Archdiocese's Bankruptcy Filing Won't Silence the Voices of Victims

NEW ORLEANS, May 7, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- On May 1, 2020, the Archdiocese of New Orleans filed for bankruptcy to protect itself financially while shirking its moral responsibility to generations of victims of sexual abuse by its clergy. A team of dedicated New Orleans attorneys is not going to stand by and just watch that happen.

"This bankruptcy is all about the sex abuse victims," says Johnny Denenea, Esq., an attorney working with the Herman Herman and Katz, LLC team. "Hundreds of children were sexually abused by the clergy of this Archdiocese, which buried allegations, moved rapists among its parishes and bullied most victims into silence." Denenea says that the clergy had a sacred duty to protect the children of this community and utterly failed to do so. "The Archdiocese's gross misconduct is the prime reason behind this bankruptcy."

It's also the reason Herman Herman & Katz is providing an opportunity for any victims and survivors who have remained silent of sexual abuse by the Archdiocese's clergy to share their stories confidentially. In state court, victims were on the path to truth. They filed lawsuits, named their assaulters, sought documents related to their claims, and moved the court for testimony. By filing Chapter 11 and moving proceedings to Federal court, the Archdiocese effectively halted the deposition of Archbishop Gregory Aymond, which had been scheduled for May 28, 2020, and blocks the publication of thousands of pages of these case documents. Just as victims were reclaiming the agency taken away from them as children, the Archdiocese chose their accounts over being held accountable.

Herman Herman & Katz is responsible for 90 percent of all filed cases of sexual abuse against the Archdiocese and has reviewed thousands of pages of documents relating to more than 23 cases. The firm has also issued subpoenas for records and deposed the Archdiocese's archivist and IT representatives to track down secret abuse files. The firm is committed to getting the voices of silent victims heard.

"It's important for victims to come forward and share their stories now," says Denenea. "These victims are seeking the truth and need to know what the Archdiocese knew, when it knew it and what it willfully did with that knowledge. They want—and they deserve—explanations."

But it's going to take unified voices to be heard loud and clear.

"We stand ready to continue to help the victims in this bankruptcy," says Denenea. "Through the institutional knowledge gained from hard-fought state court litigation, we will execute our duties to protect, fight, and communicate on behalf of victims."

Victims of sexual abuse by the clergy of the Archdiocese of New Orleans who have been silent up to now can now call the office of Herman Herman & Katz at 504-581-4892 and ask to speak to someone about the Archdiocese bankruptcy case and arrange for a confidential interview with an attorney. Although the consultation will be strictly confidential, victims will have an opportunity to join their voices and share their stories with other survivors to help hold the Archdiocese accountable.

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For more information, attorney interviews contact:
Nathan Hoffman
[email protected]
504-259-9165 (Mobile) 

SOURCE Herman Herman and Katz, LLC