Profile Facts
- Name
- Bruce C. Maxwell
- Role
- Priest
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Detroit
- Order
- OSC
- Ordained
- 1975
- Status
- Accused
- Died
- 2/17/2006
- Records
- Diocesan and public records
Father Bruce C. Maxwell was a Crosier religious-order priest and Navy chaplain who was removed from ministry in 2002 for the sexual abuse of a minor. This profile by White Law PLLC’s clergy sexual abuse lawyers compiles the public record for survivors.
Maxwell’s assignments spanned the country and overseas, from Indiana and Nebraska to military posts in California, Bahrain, Florida, Japan, and North Carolina. Survivors who encountered him in any of those places may have rights worth examining.
Sexual Abuse in the Archdiocese of Detroit
Although a member of the Crosier order, Maxwell worked in the Detroit area from 1983 to 1989 and appears on the Archdiocese of Detroit’s credibly-accused list. Michigan’s seven dioceses, Detroit, Lansing, Grand Rapids, Saginaw, Gaylord, Marquette, and Kalamazoo, have all been examined in the Attorney General’s clergy abuse investigation begun in 2018.
Religious-order priests present distinct legal questions about which entities bear responsibility. A Michigan clergy sexual abuse lawyer can untangle whether the order, a diocese, or both may be liable.
The Allegations Against Father Bruce C. Maxwell
A Military Chaplaincy Career
Published records indicate that Maxwell was ordained in 1975 for the Crosiers (OSC). He worked in Indiana in 1975, Nebraska from 1975 to 1982, and Detroit from 1983 to 1989, then served as a Navy chaplain from 1989 to 2002 in California, Bahrain, Florida, Japan, and North Carolina. He was also chaplain at the U.S. Coast Guard Training Center in Petaluma and in residence at St. James from 1989 to 1992.
Removal and Restriction
He was removed in 2002 for the sexual abuse of a minor and sent to the Crosier community in Phoenix with no ministry. He was included on the Crosiers’ list in March 2014 and on the Santa Rosa diocese’s list of January 12, 2019. On June 10, 2019, the Detroit archdiocese placed him on its list of credibly accused clergy. Maxwell died on February 17, 2006.
Criminal vs. Civil Sexual Abuse Cases
Father Maxwell died in 2006, so he can no longer face criminal charges. His death forecloses prosecution, but it does not foreclose every form of accountability.
Civil lawsuits can seek damages from the religious order that supervised him and from dioceses where he served. Where an order restricted a priest to a community with no ministry after learning of abuse, the record of what was known and when becomes central to a claim.
Statute of Limitations on Clergy Sexual Abuse Cases in Michigan
Michigan Legislature §600.5805 generally gives survivors ten years from the abuse or until age 28 to file a civil claim, whichever is later. There is no time limit for first-degree criminal sexual conduct charges in Michigan.
Because Maxwell served in many states and on military installations, survivors should also ask about the laws of other jurisdictions. An attorney can identify which state’s deadlines are most favorable.
View All Accused Clergy in Michigan
Pursue Justice With Help From White Law PLLC
If Father Maxwell abused you, reach White Law PLLC at (517) 316-1195 for a free, confidential consultation. Our address is .
We represent survivors harmed by religious-order priests as well as diocesan clergy, and we will pursue every responsible party the law allows.
Profiles summarize published records and allegations. Inclusion does not constitute a legal finding.