Saints Owner Gayle Benson Comments on Archdiocese Amid Sex Abuse Scandal

New Orleans Saints principal owner Gayle Benson issued a statement amid ongoing reporting from the Associated Press regarding the team's connection to the Archdiocese of New Orleans. 

The Associated Press' Jim Mustian reported Jan. 30 the Saints worked with the Archdiocese while it handled a sexual abuse scandal:

"Plaintiffs' attorneys alleged in earlier court papers that Saints executives joined in the archdiocese's 'pattern and practice of concealing its crimes,' and one email from late 2018 referred to Saints Senior Vice President of Communications Greg Bensel joining unnamed 'third parties' in a discussion about 'removing priests from the pedophile list.' It was not clear which other Saints officials may have been involved."

Benson wrote Monday the Saints were contacted by the AP for a subsequent story that will be released. She acknowledged Bensel "met with the Archbishop and communications staff" as the archdiocese prepared to release a list of the members of its clergy accused of sexual abuse, which attorneys suing the church say was not comprehensive.

However, Benson said Bensel didn't provide any insight as to specific names to be revealed:

"Greg informed me that his recommendations were consistent with the Archdiocese and included: be honest, complete and transparent; own the past wrongs and find a solution to correct them and then define those solutions that are in place now to protect victims; be a leader in the Church by being the first Archdiocese in the country to release the full list of names, release all of the names of clergy that have credible evidence against them, regardless of whether they are male/female, dead or alive; and make sure that all law enforcement are given these names prior to the Archdiocese releasing them so they can be prosecuted to the full extent of the law."

Benson also commented on her relationship with the New Orleans Archdiocese and Archbishop Gregory Aymond. She said she had supported the archdiocese but neither she nor her late husband Tom "have ever contributed nor will ever make payments to the Catholic Church to pay settlements or legal awards of any kind, let alone this issue."

She said the organization was "proud of the role" it played and "in hindsight ... would help again to assist the Archdiocese in its ability to publish the list." She also noted the Saints have given every email they exchanged with the archdiocese to the court and attorneys. 

In November 2018, the archdiocese released the names of 57 clergy members who it said were "credibly accused" of sexually abusing minors in southeast Louisiana since 1950. 

Lawyers representing a group of men who said they were abused said the Saints "appear to have had a hand in determining which names should or should not have been included on the pedophile list," per Mustian.

Mustian initially reported Jan. 24 the Saints were attempting to prevent the release of correspondence from the team on the matter.

The Athletic's Daniel Kaplan reported the NFL hasn't launched an investigation into the Saints about its involvement with the archdiocese. The league doesn't plan on looking into the team unless emails showing "troublesome actions" are unearthed.