Another priest has been added to the list of accused clergy by church officials in Las Vegas, days after he was first added to a similar list in New Orleans.

Brian Highfill was ordained back in 1974 and worked as a priest in the Archdiocese of New Orleans. Highfill worked at about half a dozen different churches in the New Orleans over the next several years. He then worked for about two decades as a military chaplain. He later spent his retirement in Las Vegas, and is now 78 years old.

Credible accusations of child molestations have reportedly been brought forward about Highfill in New Orleans, dating back to the 1980s.

Many allegations are only now being heard because of the ongoing clergy sex abuse scandal that has been rocking the Catholic church for years. In late Aug. 2018, Mike Brandner Sr. came forward with allegations against Highfill on behalf of his late brother, Scot, who had died by suicide in 1993. After his younger brother’s death, Mike found a collection of love letters he says Highfill sent Scot back when Scot was 17 and still in high school in 1980. Notably, Scot was just ten years old when he first met Highfill, and was an altar boy for years, and though he is not alive to confirm anything, his older brother is worried that these letters may mean that the priest might have abused his brother when he was still a minor.

After Mike brought these allegations to Archbishop Gregory Aymond in 2018, the archbishop indefinitely suspended Highfill from public ministry in late Nov. 2018.

As the Archdiocese of New Orleans was creating its list of accused clergy for release to the public back in 2018, Mike tried to push Aymond to include Highfill on the list. According to the archbishop, church advisers had determined that the letters weren’t “explicit enough” to establish sexual abuse.

For years, that’s where Mike’s search for justice for his brother ended—until another accuser with more detailed, first-person claims of abuse came forward against Highfill. The accuser, a woman, says she met Highfill when she was just 16, and he was 33. She alleged that the priest had kissed her and given her full-body massages in his private office. Eventually, she began receiving love letters as well.

After these new claims were heard, an archdiocesan board responsible for reviewing claims of clergy abuse recommended that Highfill be added to the list of accused clergy in New Orleans. Now, Highfill is included on the list alongside 63 other clergy members.

Another accuser filed a lawsuit in 2019 alleging a military veteran had been sexually assaulted by Highfill when the priest was serving as an Air Force chaplain.

After Highfill was finally added to the New Orleans list of accused priests, Las Vegas—where he is now a retiree—added him to a similar list.

In the face of these allegations, Highfill has proclaimed his innocence since the 2019 lawsuit—which remains unresolved. Indeed, that lawsuit and dozens of others filed against clergy in New Orleans have been on indefinite hold after the New Orleans archdiocese filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protections on May 1. Notably, victims of abuse have argued that the Chapter 11 bankruptcy was filed “in bad faith” as a method of avoiding these kinds of claims.

Filing a Catholic Sexual Assault Lawsuit

More and more survivors of childhood sexual abuse are coming forward with allegations against their abusers, as well as organizations that employed or enabled their abusers, such as the Catholic church.

If you have suffered from childhood sexual abuse at the hands of a clergy member, even if that abuse happened years or even decades ago, you may be able to file a lawsuit and pursue compensation. Of course, filing a lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by childhood sexual abuse, but it can at least provide some kind of compensation, as well as help to hold those responsible accountable for their actions and inactions.

Filing a lawsuit can be a daunting prospect, so Top Class Actions has laid the groundwork for you by connecting you with an experienced attorney. Consulting an attorney can help you determine if you have a claim, navigate the complexities of litigation, and maximize your potential compensation.

This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.