The filing deadline for all sexual abuse claims against the Archdiocese of New Orleans is rapidly approaching. By March 1, 2021, anyone who believes they were the victim of sexual abuse, sexual harassment, or some other type of “sexualized interaction” with a priest, nun, brother, other cleric, employee, or volunteer of the Archdiocese of New Orleans must file a claim with the bankruptcy court or be shut out from justice forever.
Often referred to as a “bar date,” the strict March 1 filing deadline is one of the benefits that the Archdiocese receives from having filed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition last year. The date is referred to as the “bar date” because all claims by creditors – including by people who were victims of childhood sexual abuse – are forever barred after that date. Even if the Louisiana statute of limitations were ever to change in order to allow previously-expired suits to be filed with the court, anyone with a claim against the Archdiocese of New Orleans will be forbidden from filing a lawsuit because they missed the March 1 bankruptcy bar date.
This is, to put it plainly, your very last chance for accountability if you have been hurt by anyone associated with the Archdiocese of New Orleans.
That is why it is critically important that you contact an attorney to discuss your legal rights and options, even if you are not sure whether you have a case or not. The definition of potential claimants is very broad in a bankruptcy proceeding so that the largest number of survivors can be helped. But it is very important that you contact us sooner rather than later so that we have ample time to prepare the best and most complete claim possible for you.
Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection is a tactic we have seen being used all over the country by Roman Catholic dioceses and religious orders to protect itself. The debtor-diocese receives the protection of the bar date, but also often escapes the public scrutiny of its secrets and coverups becoming public. The priest personnel files and other relevant documents that a diocese may have to produce during regular litigation are often kept under lock and key by bankruptcy courts, never to be disclosed to the public.
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 have been 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].