Fr. Charles “Charley” Coyle
Diocese of Shreveport/Baltimore (Jesuits)
Ordained: 1965
Died: 2015
Assignment History:
- 1958-1962: Jesuit High School (New Orleans and Shreveport, LA)
- 1964-1965: Mental Health Institute (Woodstock, MD)
- 1965-1967: Woodstock College (Woodstock, MD)
- 1967-1969: Boston College (Newton, MA)
- 1969-1972: Newton South High School (Newton, MA)
- 1969: City of Newton Drug Education (Newton, MA)
- 1969: College of the Sacred Heart (Newton, MA)
- 1977-1978: Strake Jesuit College Preparatory (Houston, TX)
- 1978-1979: Spring Hill College (Mobile, AL)
- 1980-1982: St. Louise De Marillac (Arabi, LA)
- 1982-1983: St. Andrew the Apostle (New Orleans, LA)
- 1983-1985: Louisiana Center of Jesus the Lord (New Orleans, LA)
- 1985-1988: St. Cecilia’s (New Orleans, LA)
- Mid-1980s: Holy Cross High School (New Orleans, LA)
- Mid-1980s: Tulane University (New Orleans, LA)
- 1991-1995: Ignatius House (Atlanta, GA)
- 1995-1998: Montserrat Jesuit Retreat House (Lake Dallas, TX)
- 1998-2002: Pastoral Ministry (New Orleans, LA)
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Fr. Charles “Charley” Coyle
Fr. Charles “Charley” Coyle was ordained a Jesuit priest in 1965 and served in multiple parishes in the Diocese of Shreveport, New Orleans, and Baltimore. In April 2023, Maryland’s Attorney General released a report alleging 156 Catholic clergy members sexually abused at least 600 children over six decades. The report lists the names of the abusers, including Fr. Coyle.
According to media reports, in April 2002, he was officially sued for the alleged abuse of a boy in the 1970s at Newton High School in Boston. Reports were also made that a second youth was living with Charles Coyle at the time and later died by taking his own life. Coyle was working as a guidance and drug counselor at the time. Coyle was working in New Orleans when the accusations were first made public. The Archdiocese of New Orleans immediately placed him on leave.
In August and October 2003, two brothers reported that they were sexually abused by Fr. Coyle, who was counseling the older brothers. The older brother was sent to Coyle for weekly counseling in 1965 when he was 16 years old. Coyle first abused the victim at a building on the College of Notre Dame campus and later at Coyle’s home in Woodstock, Maryland. Coyle initially fondled the boy’s genitals and later raped him orally and then anally. Coyle was friendly with the father of the victims and would spend nights at their family home.
Several years later, when the older brother was 18, he was returning from a trip and asked Coyle for a ride from the airport. Coyle tried to initiate sex with him, and the victim rejected his advances. Coyle was living in Boston at this time and living with two teenage boys.
Coyle sexually abused the younger brother in the 1960s, beginning when he was 11 to 13 years old. The initial abuse occurred in the victim’s home. Coyle tried to make the boy touch his penis, and he resisted. Then on two occasions, Coyle got into his bed, fondled him, and orally raped him. Later Coyle drove the younger brother and another boy to a motel in Virginia where he attempted to rape them anally. The younger brother was able to flee the motel room, but Coyle physically detained the other boy in the room. The younger brother was unsure what had happened in the room, but he heard yelling and screaming inside the room.
The archdiocese made the mandated reports to authorities, and Coyle was listed as credibly accused by the Archdioceses of Baltimore and the Jesuit Order in 2018. He was also listed as credibly accused by the Archdiocese of New Orleans and Boston. In December 2018, the Diocese of Shreveport named Fr. Coyle on its credibly accused list under the heading, “Jesuits removed for sexual abuse of minors: priests who served in the Diocese of Shreveport.” The Archdiocese of Atlanta included Fr. Coyle’s name on its list of “religious order priests with credible allegations outside the Archdiocese of Atlanta” in November of 2020.
Charles Coyle died in July 2015.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Diocese of Shreveport in Louisiana. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in Louisiana, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Diocese of Shreveport may now have legal options, but filing deadlines will apply so do not delay in reaching out to us. Our lawyers have decades of experience representing survivors of clergy sexual abuse in Louisiana and nationwide. We can help.
Contact us at 888-283-9922 or [email protected] to discuss your options today.