Profile Facts
- Name
- Patrick L. McLaughlin
- Role
- Priest
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Detroit
- Order
- SJ
- Ordained
- 1939
- Status
- Accused
- Died
- 11/12/1970
- Records
- Diocesan and public records
Father Patrick L. McLaughlin was a Jesuit priest accused of sexually abusing a student while assigned to University of Detroit High School in the late 1950s. White Law PLLC’s clergy sexual abuse lawyers prepared this profile from public records.
The allegation against McLaughlin surfaced only after his death, a common pattern in clergy cases where survivors need decades to come forward. Our attorneys understand that timeline and will meet you where you are.
Sexual Abuse in the Archdiocese of Detroit
McLaughlin served within the Archdiocese of Detroit, the largest of Michigan’s seven dioceses, which also include Lansing, Grand Rapids, Saginaw, Gaylord, Marquette, and Kalamazoo. The Jesuits’ Midwest Province named him publicly as accused in December 2018, and the Michigan Attorney General’s clergy abuse investigation, begun in 2018, has examined religious-order cases as well as diocesan ones.
Abuse by a religious-order priest raises questions about which institutions answer for it. A Michigan clergy sexual abuse lawyer can sort out the potential liability of the order, the school, and the archdiocese.
The Allegations Against Father Patrick L. McLaughlin
A Jesuit at University of Detroit High School
According to published records, McLaughlin joined the Jesuit order (SJ) in 1925 and was ordained in 1939. He was the subject of a single allegation of abuse occurring while he was assigned to University of Detroit High School from 1957 to 1959. The allegation was reported after his death.
Named on Two Lists
The Jesuits Midwest Province included him on its public list of accused clergy on December 17, 2018. He was also included on the Detroit archdiocese’s June 10, 2019 list of credibly accused clergy and in the Illinois Attorney General’s report of May 2023. McLaughlin died on November 12, 1970.
Criminal vs. Civil Sexual Abuse Cases
Father McLaughlin died in 1970, more than half a century ago, so criminal prosecution is impossible. No criminal case can be built around conduct from that era at this point.
A civil claim is a different proposition. Survivors may pursue the Jesuit order that assigned him to the school, and potentially the institutions that operated it, for failing to protect students in their care.
Statute of Limitations on Clergy Sexual Abuse Cases in Michigan
Michigan Legislature §600.5805 generally sets the civil deadline for sexual abuse claims at ten years from the abuse or the survivor’s 28th birthday, whichever is later. Michigan imposes no limitations period for first-degree criminal sexual conduct.
An allegation from the late 1950s faces formidable timing barriers, but the analysis is never automatic. An attorney can determine whether any exception or recent legal development applies to your circumstances.
View All Accused Clergy in Michigan
Pursue Justice With Help From White Law PLLC
White Law PLLC offers free, confidential consultations to survivors at (517) 316-1195. Our office is at .
Even when abuse happened long ago, your experience matters. We will listen carefully and advise you candidly.
Profiles summarize published records and allegations. Inclusion does not constitute a legal finding.