Profile Facts
- Name
- Richard Lobert
- Role
- Priest
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lansing
- Ordained
- 1975
- Status
- Sued
- Records
- Diocesan and public records
Father Richard Lobert is a priest who worked in the Diocese of Lansing and has been accused of sexually abusing minors in multiple settings. White Law PLLC’s clergy sexual abuse lawyers prepared this profile from public records so survivors can see the full documented history in one place.
Lobert has been sued over alleged abuse at a Michigan boys’ training school, and his case drew the attention of the Michigan Supreme Court. Because he is living, both criminal and civil avenues may still be open, and a confidential consultation can clarify which apply to you.
Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Lansing
The Diocese of Lansing covers a large portion of central Michigan and is one of seven dioceses in the state, together with the Archdiocese of Detroit and the dioceses of Grand Rapids, Saginaw, Gaylord, Marquette, and Kalamazoo. The Michigan Attorney General’s 2018 investigation into clergy abuse examined each diocese’s handling of abuse reports.
Its December 2024 report on the Diocese of Lansing included extensive material on Father Lobert. A Michigan clergy sexual abuse lawyer can help survivors understand how the report’s findings intersect with their own potential claims.
The Allegations Against Father Richard Lobert
Assignments in Two States
Published records indicate that Lobert was ordained for the Archdiocese of Baltimore in 1975. He later worked in the Diocese of Lansing, though he was never incardinated there, serving as chaplain at Father Gabriel Richard High School in Ann Arbor and assisting in parishes.
Lawsuits and Investigations
He was placed on leave in December 2020 while the Michigan Attorney General investigated an allegation, and the Archdiocese of Baltimore removed his faculties the following month. In April 2021, he was accused in a lawsuit of sexually abusing a boy in 1999 at the W.J. Maxey Boys Training School in Whitmore Lake. Questions about the statute of limitations arose, and in December 2023 it was announced that the Michigan Supreme Court would hear the case.
The Attorney General’s 2024 Lansing report added further detail. In 2009, Baltimore received an allegation that Lobert had an eighth-grade boy at St. Mary’s Parish in Cumberland, Maryland, sit on his lap repeatedly; Lobert denied abuse and civil authorities found no evidence of inappropriate behavior. In January 2019, the Diocese of Lansing received emails, purportedly from two different women, describing sexual misconduct by Lobert in the confessional. The Attorney General determined both emails came from the same person: a 16-year-old boy who attended Father Gabriel Richard High School. The boy was expelled.
In December 2020, the boy’s mother told the Attorney General’s tip line that Lobert had sexually abused her son for years; the boy described physical and sexual abuse to investigators, Lobert denied it, and prosecutors found insufficient evidence to bring charges. A separate November 2020 allegation described abuse of a boy at Maxey on three occasions beginning when he was 15; no criminal charges were filed because of the statute of limitations, and the matter was sent to the Vatican.
Criminal vs. Civil Sexual Abuse Cases
Because Father Lobert is living, criminal prosecution remains theoretically possible for conduct within the applicable time limits, though prosecutors have previously declined to file charges in some of the reported matters. Civil litigation follows different rules and different deadlines.
In a civil case, a survivor can seek damages from the abuser and from any institution that enabled the abuse. Allegations that a diocese received warnings and failed to act can form the basis of a claim against the diocese itself.
Statute of Limitations on Clergy Sexual Abuse Cases in Michigan
Michigan Legislature §600.5805 generally gives survivors of sexual abuse ten years from the abuse, or until age 28, to bring a civil lawsuit, whichever period ends later. For first-degree criminal sexual conduct, Michigan imposes no time limit.
Statute-of-limitations questions have already shaped Lobert’s litigation history, including the case now before the Michigan Supreme Court. These issues are fact-specific and evolving, which is why individualized legal advice matters.
View All Accused Clergy in Michigan
Pursue Justice With Help From White Law PLLC
If you were abused by Father Lobert, contact White Law PLLC at (517) 316-1195 for a free, confidential consultation. We are located at .
Our firm stands with survivors across Michigan. We will review your situation honestly and help you decide on the best path forward.
Profiles summarize published records and allegations. Inclusion does not constitute a legal finding.