Posts Categorized In: Child Sex Abuse

The Lamothe Law Firm attended the hearing yesterday in the Archdiocese of New Orleans Bankruptcy proceeding wherein Judge Grabill ruled on the date by which all survivors of sexual abuse must file their claim in the Archdiocese bankruptcy proceedings or risk forever losing their right to compensation (the “Bar Date”). The Archdiocese argued that the… Read More

Safeguarding children’s rights online is a priority. A recent investigation by the New York Times showed that tech companies report more than 45 million images of sexually exploited children annually. In 2018, there were more than 18.4 million reports of online abuse of children, a 6,000-fold increase in only 20 years. And in the last… Read More

Lamothe Law Firm attended Thursday’s federal bankruptcy hearing that covered the Creditors’ Committee’s Motion to Dismiss. The Committee argued that the church is solvent and is just filing bankruptcy to avoid discovery. The Archdiocese said they don’t have to be insolvent to file for bankruptcy. They also argued that is is very common for debtors… Read More

New Orleans clergy abuse plaintiff can’t move bankruptcy-halted case out of federal court: judge, by Ramon Antonio Vargas, The Times-Picayune-New Orleans Advocate. In May, 2020, more than two dozen clergy abuse lawsuits that had been filed in Orleans Parish civil court were halted because of the Archdiocese of New Orleans bankruptcy proceedings in federal court…. Read More

Many survivors of child sexual abuse struggle with a wide variety of psychological, social, emotional, and personal recovery issues as they mature into adults. Those who survived clergy-perpetrated sexual abuse (CPSA), however, may face additional spiritual challenges. Long-Term Effects According to RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network), the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization, adults… Read More

The Archdiocese of New Orleans has removed Acting Deacon V.M. Wheeler from St. Francis Xavier Parish in Old Metairie due to a formal abuse allegation. Wheeler had only been ordained as a deacon and assigned to St. Francis Xavier Parish for 2 years. The abuse allegation occurred 20 years ago. Wheeler is also a partner… Read More

On July 30, 2020, the Lamothe Law Firm attended a hearing in the Archdiocese of New Orleans bankruptcy proceedings in which the Court ruled upon the Archdiocese request that the Court establish a procedure for designating certain documents confidential, including documents containing information about sexual abuse claims. The Creditors Committee, which represents abuse survivors, argued… Read More

The Roman Catholic Church is a global spiritual entity, but in the United States, it is a network of nearly 200 individual archdioceses, dioceses, and parishes overseen and guided by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). Each local group has a great deal of financial and decision-making autonomy. Because of this, they have… Read More

The Lamothe Law Firm attended the telephonic hearing regarding the Archdiocese of New Orleans Bankruptcy proceedings held on July 16, 2020. We attended to represent abuse survivors who deserve fair and full compensation for the terrible abuse suffered. This meeting is a step in moving forward to attain that goal. At the hearing, the Application… Read More