Catholic religious order can’t buck child sex claims

BATON ROUGE, La. — A Louisiana federal court did not allow a Catholic order, the Salesians of Don Bosco, to dismiss a 1970s child sexual abuse involving one of its priests who taught at an Archdiocese of New Orleans high school. The order argues the Archdiocese is an indispensable party to the alleged victim’s suit, though his recovery is limited due to the Archdiocese’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding that ended Dec. 8, 2025 with a $230 million settlement. But dismissal would allow the order to “escape any liability” for child sexual abuse by one its priests.