Profile Facts
- Name
- Paul James Guoan
- Role
- Priest
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lansing
- Ordained
- 1987
- Status
- Accused
- Records
- Diocesan and public records
Coming forward about abuse by Father Paul James Guoan or another member of the clergy takes extraordinary courage. White Law PLLC’s clergy sexual abuse lawyers guide Michigan survivors through every step, from the first confidential conversation to the resolution of a claim.
The profile below summarizes the public record concerning Father Paul James Guoan. Reading it may be difficult; support and legal options are within reach.
Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Lansing
In 2018 the Michigan Attorney General began investigating sexual abuse by Catholic clergy throughout the state, covering the Diocese of Lansing and Michigan’s six other dioceses: Archdiocese of Detroit, Diocese of Saginaw, Diocese of Kalamazoo, Diocese of Grand Rapids, Diocese of Marquette, and Diocese of Gaylord. The resulting reports pulled back the curtain on abuse that church officials had kept quiet for generations. Reports concerning Father Paul James Guoan emerged from this statewide review.
If you suffered abuse by Father Paul James Guoan or otherwise connected to the Diocese of Lansing, a Michigan clergy sexual abuse lawyer can review the public record with you and assess the legal options that may still be open.
The Allegations Against Father Paul James Guoan
Where He Served
Paul James Guoan was ordained for the Diocese of Lansing in 1987, according to published diocesan records. His assignments included Guardian Angel Camp in Holly, Michigan; St. Charles & Helena Parish in Clio, Michigan; and St. Gerard’s in Lansing.
What Survivors Reported
Published records indicate that Guoan was named publicly as credibly accused on the Diocese’s list of September 27, 2019, and that multiple allegations were made against him. He was removed from ministry on March 11, 2002, sent for psychological evaluation and treatment, and laicized on June 26, 2015. He was included in the Michigan Attorney General’s December 16, 2024 Lansing report.
The reported allegations include: an August 1993 report that Guoan tried to pull a 17-year-old boy’s swim trunks off at Guardian Angel Camp; a December 1992 personnel-file note referencing a 1991 allegation of sexual abuse of a young seminarian; a November 2023 lawsuit accusing him of sexually abusing a boy from 1987 to 1993, beginning when the boy was in sixth grade; a 2018 report of abuse in 1982 at age 16; a 2020 report of abuse at age 10 in 1992 or 1993 at St. Charles & Helena Parish in Clio; and a June 2022 report of abuse of a fifth-grade altar boy in 1990-1991 at St. Gerard’s in Lansing. Guoan is reported to be living, so criminal options may still exist, and civil options apply regardless.
Criminal vs. Civil Sexual Abuse Cases
It helps to think of criminal and civil cases as two different roads. The criminal road is driven by the government and can end in jail or prison for an abuser such as Father Paul James Guoan. The civil road is driven by the survivor and can end in a settlement or verdict that funds therapy, medical care, and recovery.
These roads do not depend on each other. A survivor may file a civil lawsuit regardless of whether the state pursued criminal charges against someone like Father Paul James Guoan, and many do so years after the abuse.
Statute of Limitations on Clergy Sexual Abuse Cases in Michigan
Time limits matter, but they are not always the end of the story. Michigan’s §600.5805 gives survivors of childhood sexual abuse until ten years have passed or they turn 28 to bring a civil case, and first-degree criminal charges can be filed at any time, including in cases involving Father Paul James Guoan.
Because abuse-related trauma can suppress memories for years, the law provides doctrines that may extend filing deadlines. Survivors with claims tied to Father Paul James Guoan should not assume their window has closed without having a lawyer evaluate the specifics.
View All Accused Clergy in Michigan
Pursue Justice With Help From White Law PLLC
Accountability does not stop with the individual cleric. Michigan law allows survivors to pursue the abuser’s estate as well as the institutions that employed him, where leaders were aware of the risk, or should have been, yet failed to stop the abuse, concealed it, or skipped basic screening and training of clergy such as Father Paul James Guoan.
Damages in a case involving Father Paul James Guoan can cover medical and therapy costs, pain and suffering, and lasting emotional distress. Contact White Law PLLC at (517) 316-1195.
Profiles summarize published records and allegations. Inclusion does not constitute a legal finding.