A second alleged victim has filed a lawsuit against convicted child molester and Catholic priest Michael Guidry, accusing him of sexually abusing an altar boy during the 1970s. The development raises new questions about how long church officials knew of allegations against Guidry—and adds another deeply uncomfortable chapter to a case in which the Vatican excommunicated the father of a child Guidry admittedly abused while leaving Guidry’s clerical status publicly unresolved.
The lawsuit comes as Guidry, 83, is scheduled for release from prison on November 14 after serving a sentence for molesting a teenage boy. His actual release has not yet been independently confirmed.
As Anglican Watch previously reported, Guidry pleaded guilty in 2019 to molesting the teenage son of former Catholic deacon Scott Peyton.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette permanently removed Guidry from public ministry. But it has not publicly confirmed whether he was dismissed from the priesthood.
Peyton, meanwhile, was excommunicated after leaving the Catholic Church and joining an Anglican congregation. The Vatican upheld that decision.
Apparently, molesting a child is compatible with remaining a priest. Joining the Anglicans? That’s another matter.
A new allegation dating back five decades
According to November 12 reporting by KLFY, attorney Regan Charleston Thomas filed a civil lawsuit in Lafayette on behalf of a man alleging that Guidry sexually abused him while he was an altar server during the 1970s.
The allegations have not been adjudicated and are separate from the criminal case that resulted in Guidry’s conviction.
But the chronology is troubling.
If substantiated, the new allegations would place Guidry’s abusive conduct roughly four decades before the offense for which he was convicted.
That raises an obvious question: What did diocesan officials know, and when did they know it?
Charleston Thomas says she has pursued discovery seeking records concerning the diocese’s historical knowledge of Guidry. Those answers have not yet emerged publicly.
The lawsuit could therefore expose considerably more than the conduct of one priest. It may illuminate whether church officials received earlier warnings and, if so, what they did about them.
The Vatican’s peculiar priorities
The new lawsuit makes the treatment of Scott Peyton even more disturbing.
Guidry admitted molesting Peyton’s teenage son and went to prison. Yet the diocese has declined to clarify whether he remains a priest in canonical standing, despite permanently barring him from public ministry.
Peyton, meanwhile, left the Catholic Church following his family’s experience with clergy abuse.
For that, the Vatican upheld his excommunication.
One man abused a child. The other sought refuge in another Christian tradition after his family suffered abuse.
The institutional responses speak volumes.
And now a second alleged victim has come forward with claims dating to the 1970s.
Accountability requires more than removing a priest from ministry
Guidry’s release was scheduled for November 14, and he is required to register as a sex offender.
The Diocese of Lafayette owes survivors and parishioners answers about its handling of the case, including:
- Whether officials received complaints about Guidry before the abuse of Peyton’s son.
- Whether internal records document earlier concerns.
- Why Guidry’s canonical status remains publicly unresolved.
- Whether the diocese has independently reviewed its handling of allegations against him.
- What restitution and pastoral care have been provided to survivors.
The new lawsuit may eventually help answer some of those questions.
For Anglican Watch, the larger issue remains painfully familiar: Churches repeatedly invoke their disciplinary processes while survivors struggle for information, accountability and meaningful remedies.
The Vatican apparently had little difficulty deciding Scott Peyton deserved excommunication. Perhaps it could demonstrate similar resolve when confronting the conduct of priests who abuse children.
Sources
- KLFY: Former priest Michael Guidry sued by new victim before prison release, November 12, 2026 — Local reporting describing the new lawsuit, alleged 1970s abuse and the plaintiff’s attorney’s efforts to obtain diocesan records.
- Acadiana News First: Convicted priest faces new allegation of child sexual abuse, November 2, 2026 — Earlier investigation detailing the new civil allegation, Guidry’s expected release and unanswered questions about his priestly status.
- Anglican Watch: Vatican excommunicates abuse victim’s father. His son’s abuser is still a priest. — Previous coverage of Guidry’s conviction, the Diocese of Lafayette’s response and the Vatican’s treatment of Scott Peyton.
- OSV News: Vatican upholds excommunication of former deacon, November 5, 2026 — Catholic reporting documenting the Vatican’s decision and Peyton’s efforts to appeal.
- BishopAccountability.org: Michael S. Guidry — Compiled assignment history, criminal disposition, diocesan actions and subsequent allegations.
