NEW ORLEANS (LA)
SNAP - Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests [Chicago IL]
April 21, 2023
By Zach Hiner
The Associated Press has uncovered more details in the quagmire that is the preemptive bankruptcy filing by the Archdiocese of New Orleans. Once again, the Archdiocese has exerted concerted and consistent efforts to keep their history of clergy abuse and cover-up hidden from the public eye.
The latest twist in this case is that the judge who, according to the AP, “has consistently ruled in favor of the church” in the bankruptcy case, also appears to have chosen not to disclose the fact that he is a major donor to the Archdiocese of New Orleans. Judge Greg Guidry claims that he did not know he was donating tens of thousands of dollars annually to the Archdiocese, a statement that is at best difficult to believe. Following the widespread publication of his clear and obvious conflict of interest, the judge has now signaled that he mayrecuse himself from the case.
Recusal is the minimum that should happen. Any decision that Judge Guidry has made up to this point is now impossible to view as impartial, given the judge’s clearly close ties with one of the sides in the case he has been presiding over for months. It is notable that Judge Guidry donated more than $36,000 after the Archdiocese declared bankruptcy. It is difficult, if not impossible, to reconcile those donations with any notion of impartiality, given that the judge is making decisions over how at least some of those donations will be applied. We believe that Judge Guidry should recuse himself not only from this case, but from any case going forward that has even the slightest tie to the Catholic Church.
Ultimately, what is most enraging about this situation is that there are 500 survivors of clergy abuse whose fate and future is being decided by a court system that apparently is tied very deeply and closely to the institution that caused those 500 innocent victims grievous harm. It is unconscionable that, as these survivors wait in limbo to see what becomes of their attempt to seek accountability and justice, their stories and histories will be weighed by a judge who is deeply and personally devoted to the institution that covered up the crimes committed against them. These survivors deserve a fair and honest shot at justice. What they are receiving in New Orleans is far, far from it.
CONTACT: Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager (mmcdonnell@snapnetwork.org 267-261-0578) Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director (zhiner@snapnetwork.org, 517-974-9009) Shaun Dougherty, SNAP Board President (sdougherty@snapnetwork.org, 814-341-8386)
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for more than 35 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)