Fr. Charles Fendin
Archdiocese of New Orleans
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations against Fr. Charles Fendin:
In December of 1987, A Mandeville couple and their 19-year-old son filed a $17 million lawsuit against the Archdiocese of New Orleans and four of its priests. The suit claimed that one of the priests seduced the teenager starting when he was a 13-year-old altar boy. The suit names Father James Kilgour as the priest who initiated the boy into homosexual activities in 1980 and 1981.
The boy also claimed that he told Father Kilgour he wanted to a priest, and Kilgour told him that the church permitted these homosexual activities.
The other priests that were accused in the lawsuit were Joseph Chotin, Charles Fendin, and Vincent Feehan. In the settlement, Kilgour was charged with abuse while the other three were charged with sexual advances toward the victim and showing him pornography films. The civil suit was settled and dismissed in 1991.
Charles Fendin has not been included on the New Orleans archdiocese’s 2018 list of clergy members who have been credibly accused of sexual misconduct with a minor due to the case being dismissed. No information has been released about Father Fendin’s assignment history throughout his career, or his role in active ministry today.
His current whereabouts are also 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.
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]