Profile Facts
- Name
- Alexander Thomas Fitzgerald
- Role
- Priest
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lansing
- Ordained
- 1942
- Status
- Accused
- Died
- 7/5/1996
- Records
- Diocesan and public records
On July 13, 2020, the Diocese of Lansing publicly named Father Alexander Thomas Fitzgerald on its list of clergy with credible allegations against them, nearly a quarter century after his death. The Michigan Attorney General’s December 2024 report on the Lansing diocese added detail: in 1991, the diocese received a report that Fitzgerald had sexually abused a girl over six years, from 1966 to 1972, at her home in Howell. Our clergy sexual abuse lawyers prepared this page to compile the sourced record on Fitzgerald, who was ordained in 1942.
Fitzgerald died on July 5, 1996, so he cannot be criminally prosecuted. The sections below set out what was reported and what civil options Michigan law may still provide.
Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Lansing
The Diocese of Lansing covers south-central Michigan and stands among the state’s seven dioceses with the Archdiocese of Detroit and the dioceses of Gaylord, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Marquette, and Saginaw. Michigan’s Attorney General opened a statewide clergy-abuse investigation in 2018 and released a Lansing-specific report in December 2024, which included the Fitzgerald allegation. As a Michigan clergy sexual abuse lawyer, White Law PLLC draws on these public reports when building cases.
Abuse that continued for six years raises hard questions about oversight. Survivors from Lansing diocese parishes who are coming forward now deserve answers about what the diocese knew, and a lawyer can help find them.
The Allegations Against Father Alexander Thomas Fitzgerald
Where He Served
According to published records, Fitzgerald was ordained in 1942 and served in the Diocese of Lansing. The diocese named him publicly on its list of those with credible allegations on July 13, 2020. He died on July 5, 1996.
What Survivors Reported
The Michigan Attorney General’s December 16, 2024 report on the Diocese of Lansing notes that in 1991 the diocese received a report that Fitzgerald sexually abused a girl over six years, from 1966 to 1972, at her home in Howell, Michigan. Fitzgerald died in 1996, so he is no longer alive for anyone to pursue criminal charges against him; civil claims against his estate or the diocese may still be available under Michigan law.
Criminal vs. Civil Sexual Abuse Cases
In the criminal system, the government charges an offender and seeks punishment, which can include prison time. In the civil system, the survivor files suit and seeks financial compensation. A civil suit does not need a criminal case to go forward.
Fitzgerald died in 1996, so he is no longer alive for anyone to pursue criminal charges against him. Civil claims against his estate or the Diocese of Lansing may still be viable.
Statute of Limitations on Clergy Sexual Abuse Cases in Michigan
Michigan Legislature §600.5805 generally requires civil sexual abuse lawsuits within ten years, or by the survivor’s 28th birthday, whichever is later. There is no statute of limitations for first-degree criminal sexual conduct in Michigan.
Survivors often suppress what happened for years before they can face it. That delay reflects the nature of trauma, not the merits of a claim, have an attorney evaluate your deadlines.
View All Accused Clergy in Michigan
Pursue Justice With Help From White Law PLLC
When abuse spans years, the institution that assigned and supervised the priest may share responsibility, particularly if it knew or should have known and failed to intervene. Survivors may recover damages for therapy and medical expenses, pain and suffering, and emotional distress.
Reach out to White Law PLLC at (517) 316-1195. Consultations are free, confidential, and carry no fee unless we win your case.
Profiles summarize published records and allegations. Inclusion does not constitute a legal finding.