New Orleans Archbishop Fires Food Bank Leaders Amid Abuse Settlement Dispute

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The Archbishop of New Orleans, Gregory Aymond, has removed top leaders of Second Harvest, a church-affiliated food bank, after they allegedly resisted pressure to contribute $16 million towards settling claims of child sexual abuse against clergy. The dismissals, announced on January 30, include board chairperson Bert Wilson and President Natalie Jayroe, who served for 19 years. The former leaders contend that they were forced out for refusing to allocate funds intended for anti-hunger efforts to the church’s bankruptcy settlement.

According to various sources, Second Harvest is a non-profit governed independently, although tied to the archdiocese. Aymond’s letter did not detail reasons for the firings, but he assured that operations at Second Harvest would not be affected. Critics, including former committee chair James Adams, argued that Second Harvest should not be liable or expected to contribute to settlements as it does not directly engage with children in the church's context. The archdiocese filed for bankruptcy in May 2020 to handle over 500 abuse claims against its clergy.

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