Profile Facts
- Name
- Kenneth Kaucheck
- Role
- Priest
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Detroit
- Ordained
- 1976
- Status
- Accused
- Died
- 7/18/2024
- Records
- Diocesan and public records
Discovering that a parish priest has been accused of sexual misconduct can leave survivors and families reeling. The clergy sexual abuse lawyers at White Law PLLC help people across Michigan who were harmed by clergy members take the first steps toward accountability and healing.
This page summarizes the reported allegations against Father Kenneth Kaucheck, a priest of the Archdiocese of Detroit who died in 2024. According to published records, the archdiocese placed him on leave in 2009 after its review board deemed a complaint of sexual misconduct substantive. The account below is based on that reporting. These are accusations; Father Kaucheck maintained his innocence. Because he is deceased, criminal prosecution is not possible, but civil options may remain.
Sexual Abuse in the Archdiocese of Detroit
The Archdiocese of Detroit is one of seven Michigan dioceses, along with Saginaw, Marquette, Lansing, Grand Rapids, Gaylord, and Kalamazoo. Since the Michigan Attorney General launched a statewide clergy abuse investigation in 2018, the archdiocese’s handling of complaints, including cases where priests were quietly transferred after reports, has come under scrutiny. A Michigan clergy sexual abuse lawyer can help survivors understand how the church’s documented response affects a potential civil claim.
Father Kaucheck served at Guardian Angels in Clawson, St. Mary’s in Royal Oak, and St. James in Ferndale. When a diocese moves a priest to a new parish after a complaint instead of warning families, the institution may share liability for later harm.
The Allegations Against Father Kenneth Kaucheck
The 2009 Complaint
Published records indicate that Kenneth Kaucheck was ordained in 1976. In January 2009, a woman contacted the Archdiocese of Detroit alleging that Kaucheck had engaged in sexual misconduct with her in 1976, when she was 16 and in counseling with him at Guardian Angels in Clawson. At the time, a friend learned the two had traveled to Florida together and told a deacon, who told the pastor; the girl’s father met with the pastor, and Kaucheck was transferred. After the 2009 complaint, Kaucheck was placed on leave effective April 23, 2009, and the review board deemed the complaint substantive. He resigned as pastor of St. Mary’s in Royal Oak and St. James in Ferndale. He was not prosecuted because the girl was older than Michigan’s age of consent at the time.
Later Years
In 2015, Kaucheck co-founded Gianna House Pregnancy and Parenting Residence, a facility for pregnant teens in Eastpointe; according to the archdiocese, he resigned from the center in April 2016. In January 2017 he filed a defamation suit against SNAP and two newspapers, maintaining his innocence. He died on July 18, 2024. The allegations against him remain accusations, and survivors should know that civil claims do not require a criminal conviction.
Criminal vs. Civil Sexual Abuse Cases
Survivors often ask about the difference between criminal and civil cases. A criminal prosecution is filed by the state, which must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, and it aims to punish the offender. A civil lawsuit is filed by the survivor, who must prove the case by a preponderance of the evidence, and it seeks financial compensation. Here, no criminal prosecution occurred, and none can now be brought.
Criminal Prosecution
Prosecutors decide whether to file criminal charges, and in this case none were filed. Criminal cases punish offenders but provide no damages to survivors.
Civil Lawsuits
Civil lawsuits belong to the survivor and can proceed with or without criminal charges. They may name the abuser’s estate and the archdiocese, especially where the church transferred a priest after a complaint rather than protecting potential victims.
Statute of Limitations on Clergy Sexual Abuse Cases in Michigan
Under Michigan Legislature §600.5805, civil sexual abuse claims generally must be filed within ten years of the abuse or before the survivor turns 28, whichever is later. Michigan sets no time limit for first-degree criminal sexual conduct charges.
Many survivors wait years, even decades, before disclosing abuse. Shame, fear of not being believed, and the respect accorded to priests can silence victims, and traumatic memories sometimes surface only in adulthood. Because filing deadlines turn on specific facts, survivors should have an attorney evaluate their timeline rather than assume it is too late.
View All Accused Clergy in Michigan
Pursue Justice With Help From White Law PLLC
Civil damages may include the cost of therapy and medical treatment, as well as compensation for pain and suffering and emotional distress. Claims can be brought against the abuser’s estate and against the archdiocese or other church institutions where leaders knew or should have known of misconduct, failed to prevent it, concealed it, or failed to properly screen, train, and supervise clergy.
White Law PLLC invites Michigan survivors of clergy sexual abuse to reach out for a confidential consultation. Call (517) 316-1195.
Profiles summarize published records and allegations. Inclusion does not constitute a legal finding.