Federal Judge Recusal in Archdiocese of New Orleans Bankruptcy Case
(For Immediate Release May 1, 2023)
A federal judge overseeing the bankruptcy of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans recused himself Friday in a late-night reversal, a week after an Associated Press report showed he donated tens of thousands of dollars to the Church and consistently ruled in its favor. We are grateful for this development, as we are sure the almost 500 child sex abuse victims waiting for justice in the courts must be. To us, this was the correct and obvious decision.
Judge Greg Guidry’s recusal is welcome and long overdue. Initially, the judge told attorneys in the high-profile case that a panel of federal judges he asked to review the possible conflict determined no “reasonable person” would question his impartiality despite his contributions and longstanding ties to the Archdiocese. We obviously disagreed, as did many others in the advocacy and legal communities following the initial reveal.
It was not so long ago that a "reasonable person" would never believe a Catholic priest would rape a child. It was this blind spot that enabled bishops to conceal crimes and unconscionably dismiss the danger to other boys and girls in doing so. When criminal behavior was outed, Church officials, in our opinion, long used their money, power, and influence to deceive the public and law enforcement and to use sympathetic judges like Guidry to help suppress the truth.
It is our belief that all of Judge Guidry's cases involving the Archdiocese of New Orleans should be scrutinized carefully and sent back to be re-litigated if necessary. It seems obvious to us that the judge has had conflicts of interest for years. We question if victims in New Orleans will ever get a fair shake when confronted with the one-two punch of the Church's wealth and judges like Guidry, who are biased beyond any "reasonable" belief.
CONTACT: Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager ([email protected], 267-261-0578), Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director ([email protected], 517-974-9009)
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 35 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
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