NEW ORLEANS — The U.S. Supreme Court rejected an appeal from attorney Richard Trahant on Monday, upholding a $400,000 fine imposed for allegedly violating a protective order related to clergy abuse litigation. The fine against Trahant grew by approximately $60,000 due to interest.

Trahant's clients include dozens of victims of the New Orleans Catholic sexual abuse scandal. Federal Judge Meredith Grabill ordered an investigation into a potential violation of a protective order after Trahant took steps to remove Roman Catholic priest Paul Hart from his role as chaplain of a high school campus. Trahant notified Brother Martin principal Ryan Gallagher that Paul Hart had a credible allegation from the past involving a minor. Trahant also emailed a journalist, asking them to keep Paul Hart on their radar.

Paul Hart had admitted to religious superiors that he had sexual contact with a 17-year-old girl in the early 1990s, meeting her through his duties as a clergyman. He confessed to this behavior during a confidential internal investigation when he was reported to the church in 2012. Although a board advising then New Orleans Archbishop Gregory Aymond recommended removing Paul Hart from public ministry, Archbishop Aymond allowed him to continue in ministry and assigned him to Brother Martin, a Catholic high school, in 2017.

Brother Martin requested that Archbishop Aymond remove Paul Hart from its campus. Paul Hart retired as Brother Martin's chaplain in January 2022. He died at age 70, about nine months after his removal from Brother Martin. The New Orleans archdiocese provided Brother Martin with details about Paul Hart's misconduct.

Judge Grabill ruled that Trahant's actions constituted a protective order violation. She also expelled four of Trahant's clients from a committee of clergy abuse survivors who were negotiating a settlement. Trahant contended he never revealed confidential information about Paul Hart in his communications with Gallagher or the journalist. Court investigators conceded there was evidence supporting Trahant's denial that he provided confidential information to the journalist.

Trahant asked the New Orleans federal court and the U.S. Fifth Circuit to overturn his punishment, but both left the sanction in place. He argued that his due process rights were violated during the punishment process. Attorneys for the New Orleans archdiocese waived their right to respond to Trahant's petition to the Supreme Court.

Trahant issued a statement on Tuesday. "This entire saga hurt my clients, my wife, my kids and my co-counsel," Trahant said, adding, "I maintain I did what I did to protect children." In his statement, Trahant challenged the archdiocese to direct the fine he owed toward clergy abuse survivors. Jackie Berthelot, a client of Trahant, commented on the situation. "It seems that if you speak up against predators who roam our schools, … you would be punished severely," Berthelot said. "It's a shame that somebody who spoke up against abusers and always has supported victims' rights would be penalized in such a harsh manner as Richard has."