Profile Facts
- Name
- Leonard R. Foisy
- Role
- Priest
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Detroit
- Order
- SS
- Ordained
- 1957
- Status
- Sued
- Died
- 4/29/2016
- Records
- Diocesan and public records
In 1994, a lawsuit accused Father Leonard R. Foisy of sexually abusing a boy over four years in the 1960s in Michigan, while Foisy served as administrator of St. John’s Seminary in Plymouth. A Sulpician priest whose career carried him from New Hampshire to New York, Montreal, Washington, Maryland, and Michigan, Foisy was placed on sick leave in 1996. Our clergy sexual abuse lawyers assembled this page to document the sourced record on Foisy, who was ordained in 1957 and died in 2016.
Foisy died on April 29, 2016, so criminal prosecution of him is no longer possible. Below we describe what was reported and how Michigan civil law may still offer survivors a path forward.
Sexual Abuse in the Archdiocese of Detroit
Seminaries and schools fall within the Archdiocese of Detroit, the largest of Michigan’s seven dioceses, Detroit, Gaylord, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Marquette, and Saginaw. The Michigan Attorney General’s 2018 investigation into clergy sexual abuse scrutinized not only parishes but the institutions where priests held authority over young people. White Law PLLC serves as a Michigan clergy sexual abuse lawyer for survivors abused in any of those settings.
The Foisy lawsuit centers on a seminary administrator, a figure of immense authority. Survivors abused in Detroit-area institutions are still coming forward, and church records may show what superiors knew.
The Allegations Against Father Leonard R. Foisy
Where He Served
Per published records, Foisy was a Sulpician (Society of St. Sulpice) ordained in 1957. His education and career took him from his native New Hampshire to New York, Montreal, Washington DC, Maryland, and Michigan, where he served as administrator of St. John’s Seminary in Plymouth and held leadership positions in the Diocese of Manchester. He was placed on sick leave in 1996 and died on April 29, 2016.
What Survivors Reported
According to published accounts, Foisy was accused in a 1994 lawsuit of abusing a boy over four years in the 1960s in Michigan, while he was administrator of St. John’s Seminary in Plymouth. Foisy died in 2016, so he is no longer alive for anyone to pursue criminal charges against him; civil claims against his estate, his religious order, or the archdiocese may still be available.
Criminal vs. Civil Sexual Abuse Cases
The state files criminal charges to punish offenders, with incarceration as a possible result. Survivors file civil lawsuits to win compensation for what they endured. These proceedings are separate, and the civil one can advance even if the criminal one cannot.
Foisy died in 2016, so he is no longer alive for anyone to pursue criminal charges against him. A civil lawsuit against his estate, the Sulpicians, or the archdiocese may still proceed.
Statute of Limitations on Clergy Sexual Abuse Cases in Michigan
Under Michigan Legislature §600.5805, survivors typically have ten years from the abuse, or until age 28, whichever is later, to bring a civil claim. Michigan law imposes no deadline for first-degree criminal sexual conduct charges.
Fear and trauma silence many survivors for decades, especially when the abuser held institutional power. That silence is understandable, and it does not automatically defeat a claim.
View All Accused Clergy in Michigan
Pursue Justice With Help From White Law PLLC
Religious orders and dioceses that place priests in authority over minors may be liable where they knew or should have known of misconduct, screened or trained poorly, or concealed complaints. Damages can include medical and therapy bills, pain and suffering, and emotional distress.
Contact White Law PLLC at (517) 316-1195, . Your consultation is free and confidential, and there is no fee unless we win.
Profiles summarize published records and allegations. Inclusion does not constitute a legal finding.