Judge Rules in Favor of Transparency in New Orleans Saints Case
In a win for transparency and the survivor community, a New Orleans judge has granted a motion filed by the Associated Press related to emails exchanged between the Archdiocese of New Orleans and the New Orleans Saints. We applaud this ruling and look forward to the greater transparency that can result from it.
A court-appointed special master will now decide which of the hundreds of emails traded between Catholic officials in New Orleans and attorneys and PR professionals from the Saints fall under the umbrella of the granted motion. The Saints reportedly helped the Archdiocese of New Orleans shape its list of accused clerics, as well as its public announcement strategy. We agree with the AP that these emails are of significant public interest, as they can help shed more light on the process used by church leadership when deciding which priests to release information about and which priests to keep hidden. We hope the special master will release as many of these documents as possible.
The fact remains that there was never any reason for staff from an NFL organization to get involved in evaluating cases of clergy sexual abuse. If the advice from Saints staff was as innocent as they contend, then we think there should be no reason why the emails should remain hidden. We look forward to greater transparency in this case and for the opportunity for the full truth to be revealed.
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