A former janitor at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish and School in St. Matthews is suing the Archdiocese of Louisville, the parish, facilities manager Cesar Barahona and pastor Rev. David G. Sanchez. The complaint alleges sexual assault, gross negligence, violations of the Kentucky Civil Rights Act, assault, battery, false imprisonment, negligent hiring or retention and breach of contract. The filing was first reported by Caroline Neal for the Louisville Courier Journal and republished by the Lexington Herald-Leader.
Police and court developments
St. Matthews Police Chief Barry Wilkerson said investigators are examining a sexual-misconduct complaint involving the parish and consulting the local prosecutor’s office about possible charges, according to WHAS11. The woman reported the matter to police on Oct. 21, 2025, according to the lawsuit.
The complaint says a judge granted the woman an interpersonal protective order against Barahona on Nov. 13, 2025, and converted it to a three-year domestic violence order on Dec. 11, 2025. It also alleges that Barahona later offered her money to abandon her claims, according to the Courier Journal.
Claims about the workplace
Reporting policies and complaint data
The Archdiocese of Louisville’s published policy prohibits sexual misconduct by all employees and volunteers, including lay personnel, and says criminal behavior should be reported immediately to police and the archdiocesan Chancellor, according to the Archdiocese’s reporting procedures. The policy does not establish whether those procedures were followed in this case or resolve the allegations in the lawsuit. State administrative figures provide context but do not determine the outcome of an individual claim. The Kentucky Commission on Human Rights’ FY2020 annual report identified prima facie issues in 411 complaints at intake and recorded 177 EEOC-related employment actions, while cautioning that the latter figure did not necessarily mean 177 cases had been completed. Those figures describe agency activity, not findings about the allegations involving the St. Matthews parish.
The complaint says the woman began working at the parish in April 2025 under Barahona’s supervision. She alleges that he made sexual advances and later assaulted her on multiple occasions, including in a boiler and maintenance room. She further alleges that she reported the conduct to Sanchez in June 2025, but that the pastor accused her of lying and warned that her family could face consequences if she continued reporting the matter or pursued legal action.
The lawsuit alleges that a new facilities manager reported the matter to human resources in October 2025, after Barahona left the parish for a medical procedure. It also claims the woman’s hours were substantially cut and that she was not paid for cleaning the entire facility.
The Archdiocese of Louisville said it does not comment on pending litigation, according to the Herald-Leader’s account. The lawsuit seeks damages and other relief. The allegations have not been resolved in court.
