Hearing on Emails in Saints Case to be Public, SNAP Responds
A state hearing before a court-appointed special master that will discuss emails exchanged by the New Orleans Saints and Catholic officials from the Archdiocese of New Orleans will be open to the public. We applaud this decision and are grateful that the public will have the opportunity to be involved in the next step of this critical battle for transparency.
The decision to make the hearing before the special master public is a civil rights win for survivors and will hopefully lead to more transparency in a case that has centered on that exact subject. Allowing an open hearing as the special master hears arguments on whether or not to share with the public emails exchanged by Saints PR professionals and Catholic officials is a good step forward. Now we hope that the special master will decide to make public those emails, a subject that is clearly of public interest in New Orleans.
Throughout this process, Saints staff has claimed that they had no input in crafting the incomplete and under-counted list of abusive clergy released by the Archdiocese of New Orleans. We hope that the special master will put that claim to the test by releasing these emails and letting the public see the truth of the matter. We look forward to next week’s hearing and are hopeful that transparency will win once again.
CONTACT: Kevin Bourgeois, SNAP New Orleans ([email protected], 504-376-5445), Zach Hiner, Executive Director (517-974-9009, [email protected])
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director