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Emails obtained by The Associated Press reveal that top executives of the New Orleans Saints played a shocking role in shaping the public response to one of the Catholic Church’s worst abuse scandals, CNN reported yesterday.
According to internal emails, Saints executives closely collaborated with church leaders in an effort to control the fallout from a list of clergy members accused of sexually abusing children. The revelations have left many questioning why a professional football franchise would involve itself in such a deeply troubling crisis—and whether the team’s actions violated NFL policies.
How the Saints Got Involved in the Church’s Damage Control Efforts
In 2018, as the Archdiocese of New Orleans prepared to release a list of priests credibly accused of child sex abuse, Saints executives stepped in to help craft the church’s public relations strategy. The emails obtained by AP paint a picture of a coordinated effort to minimize the damage and control the narrative.
Among the most shocking revelations:
- A Saints spokesman briefed his boss on a call with the city’s top prosecutor, stating that the conversation allowed them to “take certain people off” the list before its public release.
- Saints executives were among the first to review the clergy list before it was made public, despite the fact that it was supposed to be an independent accounting of abusive priests.
- Team President Dennis Lauscha prepared a set of media-friendly questions for Archbishop Gregory Aymond to help him navigate press inquiries.
- The Saints’ Senior Vice President of Communications, Greg Bensel, sent email updates to Lauscha about media interviews, reinforcing that the church’s messaging was aligned with the team’s strategy. “That is our message,” Bensel wrote after the archbishop spoke to reporters.
At the time, the Saints publicly insisted they had provided only “minimal” assistance to the church. These newly uncovered emails contradict that claim, showing that the team was deeply involved in the church’s efforts to control the narrative surrounding the clergy sex abuse crisis.
Backlash Against the Saints’ Involvement
The Saints’ involvement has sparked outrage among survivors of clergy abuse, local officials, and even longtime fans of the team. State Rep. Mandie Landry (D-New Orleans) did not hold back in her condemnation. “This is disgusting,” she said. “As a New Orleans resident, taxpayer, and Catholic, it doesn’t make any sense to me why the Saints would go to these lengths to protect grown men who raped children.”
The Saints have since attempted to distance themselves from the controversy, stating that their partnership with the Archdiocese of New Orleans is a “thing of the past.” However, this admission does little to quell the anger of survivors who see the team’s actions as an egregious betrayal.
“We felt betrayed by the organization,” said Kevin Bourgeois, a former Saints season ticket holder who was abused by a priest in the 1980s. “It forces me to question what other secrets are being withheld. I’m angry, hurt, and re-traumatized again.”
The NFL’s Silence and Potential Violations of League Policy
The extent of the Saints’ role in the scandal raises serious questions about whether the team’s involvement violated the NFL’s policies. The league prohibits conduct that is “detrimental to the integrity of and public confidence in the National Football League.” Despite this, Commissioner Roger Goodell has yet to comment on whether the Saints will face any consequences.
Emails suggest that Saints executives worked closely with high-ranking officials in New Orleans, including a sitting federal judge and members of the local media, to protect the church from scrutiny. U.S. District Court Judge Jay Zainey was copied on the Saints’ communications strategy, at one point emailing Bensel, “By his example and leadership, Archbishop Aymond will continue to lead our Church in the right direction—helping us to learn and to rebuild from the mistakes of the past.”
Zainey later ruled in favor of the Catholic Church by striking down a Louisiana law that would have allowed survivors of clergy abuse to sue, regardless of how long ago the abuse occurred. He declined to comment on his role in the matter.
A Turning Point for the Catholic Church in New Orleans
The 2018 list of accused priests was meant to be a watershed moment for the Catholic Church in New Orleans—a long-overdue public admission of past abuse that would bring healing and accountability. However, investigative reports later found that the church’s original list was incomplete, omitting at least 20 priests who had been accused in lawsuits or charged with child sexual abuse.
The Archdiocese of New Orleans has been under increasing legal and financial pressure since the list was released. More than 600 people have since filed lawsuits against the church, alleging they were abused by clergy members. The ongoing litigation has forced the Archdiocese to file for bankruptcy, and federal and state law enforcement agencies have launched sweeping investigations into how church leaders handled abuse claims.
In 2023, Louisiana State Police executed a search warrant at the Archdiocese of New Orleans, seizing records that included communications with the Vatican. Seven priests from the local clergy have been charged with crimes ranging from rape to possession of child pornography since the Saints began assisting the church.
Why Did the Saints Get Involved?
At the heart of this scandal is the close personal relationship between Saints owner Gayle Benson and Archbishop Aymond. Benson, a devout Catholic, has given tens of millions of dollars to Catholic causes through her foundation. Aymond, in turn, has frequently flown on Benson’s private jet and has been a fixture at Saints games, even celebrating pregame Masses for the team.
When the clergy abuse scandal erupted, the Saints’ front office seemingly treated it as a crisis to be managed rather than a moral outrage to be condemned. Bensel, the team’s communications director, reached out to newspaper editors in an effort to influence their coverage of the church’s response. He reminded them that the Saints and New Orleans Pelicans had benefited from media support in the past and implied that the church deserved similar treatment.
“We did this because we had buy-in from YOU,” Bensel wrote. “We are sitting on that opportunity now with the Archdiocese of New Orleans. We need to tell the story of how this Archbishop is leading us out of this mess.”
The Lasting Impact
The revelation that a beloved NFL franchise played an active role in shaping the public response to a massive clergy sex abuse scandal is a gut punch to many New Orleans residents. It raises serious questions about the intersection of power, influence, and accountability in the city.
For survivors, the damage has already been done. The Saints’ actions, meant to protect the church’s reputation, instead shielded predators and prolonged the suffering of abuse victims. The public relations campaign did not erase the truth—it merely delayed it.
As the legal battles against the Archdiocese of New Orleans continue to unfold, survivors are left with one message: Their voices matter. And no amount of damage control can change that.
