New Orleans Saints owner Gayle Benson is at the center of a burgeoning controversy involving the team’s alleged assistance to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans during a clergy sexual abuse scandal. Recently unearthed emails suggest that top executives from the Saints played a significant role in managing the public relations crisis for the archdiocese, raising questions about the appropriateness of such involvement and potential violations of NFL policies.
The controversy came to light when emails obtained by The Associated Press revealed that Saints executives, motivated by the team’s devoutly Catholic owner, collaborated closely with church leaders to mitigate the fallout from publishing a list of abusive priests. The internal communications indicate that team officials were deeply involved, including briefings with the city’s top prosecutor and drafting media responses for the archbishop. Despite the Saints’ claims that their assistance was minimal, the emails suggest the franchise worked intensively to protect the church’s image. This collaboration has incited anger from abuse survivors and raised questions about the potential violation of NFL policies. The extent of the assistance provided has led to accusations of the Saints being complicit in efforts to potentially shield predators, further complicating the already contentious history of clergy abuse within the region.
Further investigations by The Guardian and WWL Louisiana uncovered a year-long collaboration between top officials of the NFL’s Saints and NBA’s Pelicans with New Orleans’ Roman Catholic archdiocese. This collaboration aimed to soften media coverage of the church’s management of a decades-old clergy-abuse scandal. The investigation highlights significant attempts by these sports franchises to minimize their involvement in assisting the church once they became involved in 2018. Despite denials from Saints’ spokesperson Greg Bensel and former district attorney Leon Cannizzaro about influencing the church’s list of credibly accused clergy, emails suggest otherwise. Bensel offered crisis communication services to the archbishop and orchestrated a coordinated media campaign with the church, keeping influential people informed, and preparing Archbishop Gregory Aymond for interviews. Coordination ceased after a subpoena in July 2019. The team’s and church’s efforts in crisis management, including an interview where pre-written questions were asked, reflect their close relationship. However, later on, some parties distanced themselves from these events as investigations and legal actions continued.
In response to these revelations, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell defended the New Orleans Saints as “great corporate citizens” despite their involvement in assisting the city’s Roman Catholic archdiocese with its messaging during a clergy-abuse scandal. Emails revealed that Saints owner Gayle Benson and executives coordinated with the church to influence media coverage, which included lobbying to highlight the archbishop’s actions. The scandal led to a joint child sex-trafficking investigation by state police and federal agents. While the Saints argued their actions were well-intended public relations assistance, many criticized their involvement. The emails included instances of collaboration with local officials to manage the fallout. The controversy continues amidst ongoing investigations, and it has drawn significant public and media scrutiny.
Survivor support groups are now urging the NFL to investigate allegations that leaders of the New Orleans Saints collaborated with the city’s Catholic archdiocese to mitigate critical media coverage of the church’s clerical molestation scandal. This call comes after emails revealed the Saints, owned by devout Catholic Gayle Benson, helped the archdiocese manage the scandal’s media portrayal. The Survivor Network of Those Abused by Priests (Snap) criticized the Saints for using their resources to support the church amid accusations of covering up decades of sexual abuse by clergy. Although the Saints and the archdiocese claimed their correspondence was well-intentioned public relations assistance, critics argue it prioritizes reputation over survivor support. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell praised the Saints’ leadership and expressed confidence in their intentions, though he faced pushback for appearing dismissive of the issue. Snap demands an independent investigation into the Saints’ involvement to ensure transparency and accountability.
This unfolding scandal has not only tarnished the reputation of the New Orleans Saints but has also raised broader concerns about the intersection of professional sports franchises and religious institutions in managing public relations crises. As investigations continue, the NFL faces mounting pressure to address these allegations and ensure that its franchises adhere to ethical standards, both on and off the field.
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