NEW ORLEANS (LA)
SNAP - Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests [Chicago IL]
February 6, 2025
Victims upset that the franchise helped Catholic officials
They charge that the Saints’ conduct was detrimental to survivors
The nation’s leading support group for clergy sexual abuse victims says that top officials with the New Orleans Saints flaunted National Football League (NFL) goals by working with Catholic officials to hide predators, thus endangering children and further wounding abuse victims. SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) wants the NFL to open an investigation into the Saint’s actions.
The Saints are accused of colluding with the Archdiocese of New Orleans to modify the Archbishop’s list of abusers, pressure elected officials to turn a blind eye to the scandal, and to influence public opinion by putting pressure on media outlets to curtail their coverage. Drawn into this web of deceit are judges, lawyers and the ultra-rich. SNAP issued an earlier statement on the recent revelations about the disturbing involvement of the Saints in the Archdiocesan crisis.
Louisiana SNAP leader, Letitia Peyton, says in response to the news coverage, “The New Orleans Saints, the Catholic Church, and every institution wielding influence over our communities must do more than protect their own reputations. Prioritizing PR over survivors perpetuates harm.”
In contrast, in response to the same media reports, NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell, called the New Orleans Saints a “great corporate citizen.”
Yet, according to the website of the National Football League, “The NFL is committed to addressing and preventing domestic violence and sexual assault.” We cannot help but wonder how the behavior of the Saints, as described in detail by various news outlets, squares with this commitment? It seems to us that the Saints reported assistance to the Archdiocese was designed to achieve the opposite of the NFL’s stated goals.
Instead of helping child sexual abuse survivors, the Saints worked to limit information that would have educated the local community about the extent of sexual violence in the Archdiocese. They used their vast resources to support an organization that is accused of covering-up sexual assaults on innocent boys and girls.
In the face of the evidence, we believe Commissioner Goodell should use the power of his office to open an independent, thorough investigation into these disturbing revelations. We urge him to immediately undertake a probe of the New Orleans Saints, and when completed, to make his findings public.
The wrongdoing we see is usually just the tip of the iceberg.
CONTACT: Letitia Peyton, Louisiana SNAP (letitiapeyton@gmail.com, 337-308-9120), Melanie Sakoda, SNAP Survivor Support Director (msakoda@snapnetwork.org, 925-708-6175), Shaun Dougherty, SNAP Interim Executive Director (sdougherty@snapnetwork.org, 814-341-8386)