Louisiana Sex Abuse Lawsuits

Sexual abuse and assault survivors in Louisiana have the legal right to fight back. You can file a civil lawsuit not just against your abuser, but also against the institutions that failed to protect you—schools, churches, youth organizations, and others that turned a blind eye or enabled the abuse through negligence.

Our experienced sex abuse lawyers help survivors pursue justice through civil lawsuits, holding individuals and third parties accountable and securing settlement compensation for the pain, trauma, and lifelong consequences of sexual abuse.

This page looks at the process of filing a civil lawsuit for sexual abuse in Louisiana. We will look at the relevant laws regarding sex abuse, and the average settlement amounts and jury payouts victims see in these lawsuits.  Our lawyers also give you the most recent updates on settlements and verdicts in sex abuse lawsuits.

If you are considering filing a civil lawsuit for sexual abuse, contact us online or call 800-553-8082 for a free consultation.

Seeking Compensation for Sex Abuse in Louisiana

Louisiana law defines sexual abuse and assault in broad terms that encompass a wide range of non-consensual sexual conduct. Under La. R.S. § 14:43.1, sexual battery is defined as the “intentional touching of the anus or genitals of the victim by the offender using any instrumentality or part of the body, or of the offender by the victim when the offender acts without the consent of the victim.” This statute illustrates Louisiana’s foundational elements for prosecuting sexual misconduct: the touching must be sexual in nature, and it must occur without lawful consent.

In practice, sexual abuse in Louisiana includes any unwanted, intentional sexual contact—ranging from groping and fondling to rape and other forms of coerced penetration. For civil liability purposes, Louisiana courts generally adopt similar criteria. To constitute actionable sexual abuse, two core elements must be present: (1) sexual contact and (2) absence of consent.

Consent is the linchpin of Louisiana’s legal framework around sexual abuse. Without it, any sexual touching becomes unlawful. Louisiana law is stringent in cases involving minors: La. R.S. § 14:80.1 and La. R.S. § 14:81 clarifies that minors under the age of 17 are legally incapable of giving consent to sexual activity, regardless of perceived willingness or participation. As such, any sexual contact involving a minor and an adult is presumed to be non-consensual and thus qualifies as sexual abuse under the law.

Finally, verbal sexual harassment, while potentially actionable under employment or civil rights laws, does not meet the statutory threshold for sexual battery or abuse unless it involves physical contact. This distinction ensures that only conduct involving deliberate and unlawful physical contact is prosecuted or litigated as sexual abuse under Louisiana statutes.

Who Can Be Liable for Sexual Abuse in Louisiana?

Victims of sexual abuse or assault can obviously sue the person who actually committed the acts of abuse. In many cases, however, suing the abusers is somewhat pointless because unless that person is very wealthy, you won’t be able to get any money out of them.

The criminal who actually committed the abuse rarely has the deep pockets necessary to cover civil liabilities.  So the primary challenge for sex abuse attorneys is proving that the church or employer who was responsible for supervising the perpetrator “knew or should have known” – the standard under Louisiana law –  about the perpetrator’s behavior and propensity for abusing minors.

Because such abuse often happens in private, it can sometimes be difficult to establish the employer’s knowledge or negligence. But it is usually pretty easy. Because what our sex abuse lawyers see in these cases is most perpetrators leave tons of breadcrumbs that are ignored.  The evidence in these cases is often loaded with inappropriate behavior by the perpetrator, meetings with children in private, or giving gifts and attention to children would make anyone who cared enough want to investigate further.

Even if the employer claims no knowledge of the abuse, they can still be held liable if they were negligent in their hiring or supervision of the perpetrator. To establish liability, an attorney should investigate whether there were protocols in place to prevent abuse and whether staff followed these protocols.

Louisiana Statute of Limitations for Sex Abuse Civil Cases

Louisiana is among the growing number of states that have recently changed their statute of limitations laws to make it easier for victims of child molestation to file civil lawsuits. In 2021, Louisiana eliminated its statute of limitations for all future civil lawsuits based on child sexual abuse. This means there is no SOL for child sex abuse lawsuits based on abuse occurring after January 1, 2021.

As part of that same law, legislatures in Baton Rouge also created a 3-year “lookback window” which gave victims of child sexual abuse a period of three years to file civil lawsuits free of any SOL limit and regardless of how long ago the abuse occurred. Unfortunately, that three-year lookback window expired in June 2024. La. Stat. Ann. § 9:2800.9 (2021)

Louisiana law includes a doctrine called “contra non valentem,” which allows for the suspension of the prescription period in cases where the victim is unable to act (e.g., due to repressed memories). However, courts were often reluctant to apply this doctrine in sex abuse claims, making it difficult for victims to use this as a basis for extending the time to file a lawsuit.

What This Means to You

Challenges to the Constitutionality of the New Louisiana SOL Law

In Bienvenu v. Doe, the Louisiana Supreme Court addressed the constitutionality of La. Rev. Stat. § 9:2800.9, which revived certain child sex abuse claims that had previously expired due to prescription (similar to the statute of limitations in other jurisdictions), allowing them to be filed within a three-year window. The plaintiffs alleged a priest sexually abused them during the 1970s. They sought to use this law to bring their claims despite the passage of time.

Unfortunately, the Court found that while the legislature intended for the law to apply retroactively to provide victims a chance to seek justice, such retroactive application conflicted with the due process protections outlined in the Louisiana Constitution. Specifically, the Court held that a defendant’s right to assert prescription—a vested property right once a claim has been prescribed – legal mumbo jumbo if you have ever heard it- cannot be retroactively taken away without violating constitutional due process guarantees.  So the court ruled that the legislation was unconstitutional because it attempted to revive claims for which prescription had already accrued.

Still, the case is not over. Louisiana sex abuse lawyers will fight this out again in New Orleans in front of the Louisiana Supreme Court eventually. For now, the court remanded the case back to the trial court to consider whether there had been any interruption or suspension of prescription that might allow the plaintiffs’ claims to proceed, such as through the doctrine of contra non valentem, which prevents prescription from running against a person who is unable to bring their suit due to certain conditions. But, again, the courts have not given us much hope that this is a viable path for victims.

No matter how you slice it, this is a big loss for sex abuse victims in Louisiana.

Louisiana Statute of Limitations Law

• La. Rev. Stat. § 9:2800.9 removed the statute of limitations for civil claims involving childhood sexual abuse and established the three-year lookback window.
• Doe v. Archdiocese of New Orleans reaffirmed the strict application of prior statutes of limitations, demonstrating the necessity of legislative reform to allow survivors additional time to file claims.
• Roman Catholic Church of the Archdiocese of New Orleans v. Louisiana Attorney General addressed constitutional challenges in 2023 to the lookback window, ultimately allowing survivors to proceed with their claims during the temporary filing period.

In Louisiana sex abuse lawsuits, settlement amounts depend on several factors, like how severe the abuse was, how long it lasted, and the emotional and mental harm it caused the victim. Courts and lawyers look at medical costs, such as therapy or counseling, and whether the abuse affected the victim’s ability to work. Pain and suffering damages are also a big part of the payout, meant to compensate for things like anxiety, PTSD, or emotional distress. These damages can be harder to measure since they are based on personal experiences.

The responsibility of the defendant also plays a big role, especially if the abuse happened under the watch of a church, school, or other organization. If it is shown that the institution ignored or covered up the abuse, the settlement may include punitive damages to punish the wrongdoing and prevent it from happening again. Louisiana laws—like the removal of the statute of limitations for certain abuse claims—and available insurance coverage also affect the final payout. Since every case is different, settlements are based on the unique details of each victim’s situation.

Below are example sex abuse settlements and jury payouts in Louisiana.  The common thread in many of these cases is obvious: Rev. Gilbert Gauthe. Regardless of the fact that so many involve a single defendant, this gives you some idea of how these cases are valued for settlement and by juries

• $2,750,000 Verdict: The plaintiff was sexually abused in the late 1960s as a child by clergy members at a summer camp operated by the Congregation of Holy Cross in Louisiana. The abuse occurred over multiple summers and included repeated acts of molestation. Lousteau claimed that the religious order knowingly allowed known abusers to work with children and failed to protect him and others from harm. This case was one of the first to reach trial under Louisiana’s revived lookback window for child sex abuse survivors. In June 2025, the jury found the Congregation liable and awarded $2.75 million in damages for past and future emotional distress and suffering.
• $1,250,000 Verdict: The victim, an 11-year-old boy, claimed he suffered sexual abuse and assault at the hands of Rev. Gilbert Gauthe. The boy’s parents said sexual abuse by the priest caused him to have severe emotional problems. Rev. Gauthe had previously pleaded guilty to 33 counts of sexual molestation of altar boys and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
• $75,000 Verdict: A minor female suffered severe mental and physical injuries when she was sexually molested by the defendant over a period of six months. Plaintiff contended she will continue to incur expenses for medical and other professional services as a result of the sexual abuse and emotional damages.
• $170,000 Verdict: The plaintiff claimed that he was sexually abused by a man who, along with his wife, headed the local church youth group that the plaintiff was a part of. The jury found that the church was not liable and awarded the verdict only against the individual abuser.
• $267,500 Verdict: The female plaintiff alleged that she was sexually molested by the defendant, a family friend and neighbor, from the time she was age 9 until she was age 14.  She hired a sex abuse lawyer and fought for a verdict, albeit one lower than you would expect in a case like this.
• $1,800,000 Verdict: In a lawsuit against the Catholic Diocese of Lafayette, the plaintiff, a former altar boy, claimed that he was sexually molested by Rev. Gilbert Gauthe, the same priest we talked about above. The child was victimized more than 30 times when he was an altar boy at St. John’s Catholic Church in Henry, LA.
• $1,000,000 Settlement: A family received a $1,000,000 settlement after their child was sexually abused by Rev. Gilbert Gauthe. The lawsuit claimed that the abuse caused severe emotional trauma. Rev. Gauthe had a history of abusing altar boys and was previously sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to multiple counts of sexual molestation.
• $170,000 Verdict: A volunteer abuser was ruled not to be an employee of the church, but an award of $170,000 was made against the abuser for the sexual abuse of a minor.
• $49,000 Settlement: The diocese covered the cost of treatment and psychology, amounting to $49,000, for a victim who was molested by clergy members.
• $5,182,000 Settlement: The Archdiocese of New Orleans and Catholic Charities paid a total of $5,182,000 to settle lawsuits from twenty adults who alleged they were beaten, berated, and sexually molested at two Catholic orphanages, Madonna Manor and Hope Haven, during the 1940s to 1970s.
• $550,000 Settlement: A victim of Deacon George Brignac received a $550,000 settlement from the Archdiocese of New Orleans for sexual abuse.
• $106,000 Settlement: A victim who was raped by Carl Davidson in 1980, when they were 17 years old, received a $106,000 settlement from the church.
• $150,000 Settlement: A victim of abuse by Carl Davidson, who was a classmate of another victim, received a $150,000 settlement, along with $10,000 for counseling.
• $37,000 Settlement: The Archdiocese of New Orleans provided a confidential $37,000 settlement in 2018 to the father of a victim who accused Lawrence Hecker of abuse. The settlement did not admit liability.
• $30,000 Settlement: A 2019 settlement of $30,000 was made in a case involving Deacon George Brignac, where the victim accused him of sexual abuse.
• $106,000 Settlement: A victim of sexual abuse by Carl Davidson received a $106,000 settlement from the church.
• $85,000 Settlement: A settlement worth $85,000 was reached in 2013 for a claim involving sexual abuse by Deacon George Brignac.
• $332,500 in Settlements: Over a ten-year period starting in 2010, the Archdiocese of New Orleans paid at least $332,500 in out-of-court settlements on five complaints against Lawrence Hecker.
• $1,800,000 Verdict: A victim was awarded $1,800,000 in a lawsuit claiming that the sexual abuse they suffered from Rev. Gilbert Gauthe led to long-term psychological damage. The jury awarded $1,550,000 to the victim and $250,000 to their parents. Gauthe had admitted to abusing multiple children and was previously sentenced to prison.
• $405,000 Settlement: A family received a total settlement of $405,000 after their child was abused by Rev. Gilbert Gauthe, with $270,000 allocated to the child and $30,000 to the parents. This settlement was part of secret agreements reached with the Diocese of Lafayette to resolve abuse claims against Gauthe, who had a long history of molesting children.
• $4,200,000 Settlement: Six families with nine children reached a collective settlement of $4,200,000 with the Diocese of Lafayette for the sexual abuse perpetrated by Rev. Gilbert Gauthe. The families alleged that the diocese failed to protect their children from Gauthe, who was known to have a history of abusing minors.
• $5,500,000 Settlement: Thirteen children from nine families received a total of $5,500,000 in settlements for sexual abuse by Rev. Gilbert Gauthe. This settlement was part of the Diocese of Lafayette’s efforts to resolve claims against Gauthe, who had admitted to sexually abusing numerous altar boys.

You have to remember that with many of these smaller settlements, the statute of limitations had already passed.  So the claims had not value in court. This is a case of the Church wanting to help victims, or, if you are more cynical, looking to put claims to bed in the event the statute of limitations in sex abuse lawsuits in Louisiana changed.

The Problem of  Priest Clergy Abuse in Louisiana

Besides Gauthe, another common focus on Louisiana sex abuse claims is 92-year-old retired Louisiana priest Lawrence Hecker. He was recently arrested for raping a teenage boy in the 1970s. The delayed prosecution – and lost chance at justice because he is no longer fit to stand trial – is attributed to a pervasive cone of silence surrounding the Catholic church and the courts, which has protected abusers like Hecker for decades. Despite Hecker’s confession to the Catholic church in 1999, the crimes were kept secret by four archbishops until 2018, when persistent efforts by victims and journalists finally brought his actions to light.

Everyone understand now, including some very well intention Church officials today, that this case is not an isolated incident but part of a broader pattern of abuse by Catholic clergy across the United States and the world. Louisiana has been a particular focal point of clergy abuse since the 1980s.

Unfortunately, the reality is still that the Church continues to resist transparency and accountability, as evidenced by ongoing controversies over who is listed as “credibly accused” and the use of bankruptcy to avoid settlements. The FBI’s current investigation into interstate child abuse involving Louisiana clergy, under the Mann Act, represents a potential new avenue for holding abusers accountable, as this federal law has no statute of limitations.

Recent Louisiana Sex Abuse Settlements and Lawsuits Updates

July 8, 2025: Another Uber Sex Abuse Lawsuit

In a new lawsuit filed yesterday, a woman from Walker, Louisiana, filed suit against Uber, alleging that an Uber driver sexually assaulted her during a ride in New Orleans on August 13, 2024. The plaintiff claims the assault occurred while she was using the Uber platform as an account holder. She seeks damages for the physical and emotional harm caused, asserting causes of action including negligence, product liability, and vicarious liability for the driver’s conduct.

Why was this lawsuit filed in California and not Louisiana? Although the incident took place in Louisiana and the plaintiff resides there, the case was filed directly in the Northern District of California as part of MDL No. 3084, which consolidates Uber sexual assault cases from across the country. Filing in the MDL allows for coordinated pretrial proceedings under one judge. Plaintiffs like this one can later request to have their case remanded to their home state for trial at the appropriate time. But, more likely, there will be a global settlement before that.

July 2, 2025: 2.75 Million Jury Verdict in Lousteau v. Holy Cross

A federal jury in New Orleans awarded $2.75 million to a survivor of clergy sexual abuse from the late 1960s. The plaintiff was abused at a boys’ summer camp run by the Congregation of Holy Cross.

This verdict is significant as it is the first major jury award under Louisiana’s revived “lookback window,” which allows survivors to file civil lawsuits regardless of when the abuse occurred. The jury held the religious order accountable for enabling and concealing the abuse.

May 27, 2025: New Orleans Archdiocese Agrees to $180 Million Clergy Abuse Settlement

The Archdiocese of New Orleans has reached a tentative $180 million settlement to resolve over 600 clergy sexual abuse claims as part of its ongoing bankruptcy proceedings. The agreement, which includes contributions from the archdiocese, its parishes, and insurers, aims to provide compensation to survivors through a trust fund. However, the settlement has faced criticism from many survivors and their attorneys, who argue that the deal was negotiated without adequate input from victims and may limit their ability to pursue claims in state court. The settlement requires approval from abuse survivors, the bankruptcy court, and other creditors before it can be finalized.

May 15, 2025 – New Uber Sex Abuse Lawsuit

In a new Uber sexual assault lawsuit, a passenger from Sulphur, Louisiana, has accused Uber Technologies and its affiliated entities of failing to protect her safety during a ride arranged through the Uber app.

The lawsuit alleges that the defendants were negligent and engaged in other misconduct after an Uber driver allegedly committed a sexual assault in January 2024. According to the complaint, Uber failed to put proper safety protocols in place, such as thorough driver screening, monitoring, and oversight, even though the company was aware of the danger riders, especially women, faced. The plaintiff claims that this lack of action played a direct role in allowing the assault to occur.

May 6, 2025: Calculating Sex Abuse Lawsuit Settlements in Louisiana

It is not easy to calculate settlement payouts in sex abuse lawsuits. There are a lot of variables.  The amount of these settlements can vary significantly depending on the specifics of each case.

But there are key factors that tend to drive compensation amounts in most claims. One factor—the main factor — is the defendant’s ability to pay.  Large institutions or organizations that have insurance are almost always a necessary component of a successful sex abuse settlement.

Beyond that, the next big factor that will influence the size of a settlement is the severity of the abuse suffered by the victim. Victims who have suffered more severe abuse, such as repeated assaults over a long period, may be awarded larger settlements than those who experienced a single instance of abuse.

Another critical factor in determining settlement amounts for Louisiana sex abuse lawsuits is the degree of negligence by third parties, such as churches, schools, or youth organizations, that had a duty to protect victims. When there is evidence that these institutions knew about the abuse or had clear opportunities to prevent it but failed to act, the negligence becomes especially egregious.

Cases involving cover-ups, repeated warnings that were ignored, or deliberate efforts to protect abusers will almost invariably result in higher settlements. The more reckless the institution’s behavior, the stronger the case for higher compensation.

Finally, the legal team representing the victim can also play a role in determining the size of a settlement. Experienced attorneys with a track record of success in sex abuse cases may be able to negotiate larger settlements on behalf of their clients.

May 3, 2025: Louisiana Family Advocates for Anti-Grooming Legislation

A family directly affected by clergy sex abuse in New Orleans is spearheading legislation to criminalize grooming behavior in Louisiana. Tim Gioe, abused by Father Pat Wattigny in the 1990s, joined with his wife Sarah Connick Gioe and her father, state Senator Pat Connick, to craft a bill targeting the manipulative conduct that often precedes abuse. The proposed anti-grooming bill seeks to make it a crime to groom minors under 17 for predatory purposes, carrying up to 15 years in prison. The bill has garnered bipartisan support and is advancing through the state legislature.

March 3, 2025 – Archdiocese of New Orleans Looks at Bankruptcy

The Archdiocese of New Orleans is one of the many wings of the Catholic Church across the country that has filed for bankruptcy to protect itself from mounting liability for clergy sexual abuse lawsuits.

Archbishop Aymond recently announced that the archdiocese will seek to terminate its contracts and partnerships with various companies due to the bankruptcy. Specifically, the Archdiocese will likely sell many of its community apartment complexes, such as Annunciation Inn, Christopher Inn, St. Bernard Manor, and six other centers.

This move underscores what survivors and their advocates have long argued: that the Archdiocese of New Orleans is more focused on protecting institutional assets than providing meaningful justice to victims of sexual misconduct.

Rather than opening its books fully or ensuring transparency in how abuse was allowed to persist for decades, the Archdiocese is shielding itself behind bankruptcy protections while discarding community investments like apartment complexes to stay afloat. A seasoned New Orleans sexual assault lawyer recognizes what we hoped as their old pattern—delay, deflect, and restructure—without squarely confronting the harm inflicted or the systems that enabled it and trying to fix them.

January 5, 2025 – Task Force to Examine State Handling of Sex Abuse Cases

A new task force has been created to examine how the state of Louisiana handles cases involving child sexual abuse. The chairman of the task force is State Senator Regina Barrow. The goal of the task force is to find shortcomings within the judicial system and other areas and make recommendations for how to improve the state’s response to child sexual abuse.

October 19, 2024 – Residential Treatment and Juvenile Detention Abuse Lawsuits

Our national team of sex assault attorneys is now focusing on cases of abuse and neglect in residential treatment facilities throughout Louisiana. These facilities have come under heavy scrutiny following a Senate investigation that revealed widespread systemic abuse and neglect.

The investigation uncovered a troubling pattern of misconduct and mistreatment, including physical and sexual abuse, in facilities funded by taxpayer dollars, such as Medicaid and child welfare programs. Several companies operating these facilities were named in the report, including Universal Health Services (UHS), Acadia Healthcare, and Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health.

There is also renewed focus on sex abuse lawsuits involving the abuse of inmates in Louisiana juvenile detention centers. Juvenile detention centers have been plagued by systemic neglect and sexual abuse of inmates, and a growing number of these lawsuits are being filed.

Below are some of the major residential treatment facilities and juvenile detention centers in Louisiana that have been the target of recent sex abuse lawsuits:

• Acadiana Center for Youth at St. Martinville
• Bernard Parish Juvenile Detention Center
• Bridge City Youth Center
• Brentwood Hospital
• Jackson Parish Jail
• Jetson Correctional Center for Youth
• Louisiana Berbard Parish Prison
• Tallulah Correctional Center for Youth
• Swanson Center for Youth
• Ware Youth Center

October 15, 2024:  $1 Sex Abuse Verdict

The New Orleans Police Department was found liable in a civil lawsuit for the repeated sexual assault of a teenage victim by one of its officers. A jury awarded the victim $1 million in damages. The case highlights how the officer exploited his position of authority to carry out the assaults while the police department sat on its hands.

Contact Our Louisiana Abuse Lawyers

Tort lawsuits provide a path for victims of sexual abuse to seek civil justice, even when criminal convictions are not secured. In Louisiana, survivors have successfully sued not only their abusers but also institutions like churches, dioceses, and schools that employed or supervised the abusers.

If you are considering filing a civil lawsuit for sex abuse in Louisiana, contact us online or call 800-553-8082 for a free consultation.