Fr. Bryan James Fontenot
Archdiocese of New Orleans
Ordained: 1981
Assigned as Follows:
- St. Joseph (Ponchatoula, LA)
- Holy Ghost (Hammond, LA)
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations against Fr. Bryan James Fontenot:
Bryan James Fontenot was a Dominican Order priest who worked under the Diocese of Baton Rouge for most of his career. Father Bryan Fontenot was first named publicly as accused of sexual abuse of a minor on the New Orleans archdiocese’s list on November 2nd, 2018. The list notes that he was removed from ministry by the Archdiocese of New Orleans in 2002 for alleged abuse that occurred elsewhere.
The Archdiocese of New Orleans also states on the list that there has been more than one allegation made against Father Bryan Fontenot. No further information has been made public knowledge such as the specific number of victims who have come forward or the type of misconduct that has been reported.
Bryan James Fontenot was also included on the Baton Rouge diocese’s list of credibly accused clergy members in early 2019. It is noted that he was removed from the Diocese of Baton Rouge and transferred to the supervision of the Dominican Superior in 1984. It also notes that the date of abuse was in 1983 and the allegation was reported in April of 1984.
His current whereabouts since being removed from ministry are unknown.
In April of 2020, the Archdiocese of New Orleans filed for bankruptcy protection. As part of its bankruptcy, the Archdiocese of New Orleans will be reviewing and paying claims for anyone sexually abused by diocesan priests and lay employees. This will likely include claims filed on behalf of anyone whose case may be beyond the statute of limitations. Although the alleged abuse did not occur in the Archdiocese of New Orleans, Bryan Fontenot did spend time at Xavier University in New Orleans during his priesthood.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims of sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of New Orleans. The Archdiocese of New Orleans filed for federal bankruptcy protection in April 2020. Our lawyers are now offering free legal consultations to discuss your legal options as a survivor of sexual abuse by priests and other employees of the New Orleans Archdiocese. Very strict filing deadlines will soon be set by the Bankruptcy Court. Most victims of abuse will never be able to recover damages if they miss this deadline, so please contact us to discuss your case today. Call us at 888-283-9922 or send an e-mail to [email protected]