Profile Facts
- Name
- Thomas J. Anderson
- Role
- Priest
- Diocese
- Diocese of Marquette
- Ordained
- 1933
- Status
- Accused
- Died
- 4/5/1981
- Records
- Diocesan and public records
Two men have accused Father Thomas J. Anderson, a priest of the Diocese of Marquette ordained in 1933, of sexually abusing them as young boys in the 1960s. White Law PLLC’s clergy sexual abuse lawyers publish this profile so Upper Peninsula survivors can review the documented allegations and understand their rights.
Anderson died in 1981, so criminal charges against him are no longer possible. What remains possible, and what this page explains, is a civil claim against the institutions that gave him access to children.
Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Marquette
The Diocese of Marquette spans Michigan’s entire Upper Peninsula and is one of seven dioceses in the state, along with the Archdiocese of Detroit and the dioceses of Gaylord, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing, and Saginaw. The Michigan Attorney General’s 2018 investigation covered all seven, and its October 2022 Marquette report details the allegations against Anderson. Our firm acts as a Michigan clergy sexual abuse lawyer for survivors in every corner of the state.
In small parish communities, survivors sometimes fear they will not be believed, as happened when one of Anderson’s accusers told his teacher and was called a liar. An attorney can help your voice be heard in a forum where evidence, not parish politics, decides.
The Allegations Against Father Thomas J. Anderson
Where He Served
Anderson was ordained in 1933 and served in the Diocese of Marquette, including at St. Agnes in Iron River. He died on April 5, 1981.
What Survivors Reported
According to the Michigan Attorney General’s October 2022 report, a man told the diocese in 2002 that Anderson sexually abused him from 1963 to 1967, when he was in grades one through five at St. Agnes in Iron River, and that the abuse included sodomy. The man said he told his teacher, who called him a liar, and that he was barred from returning to the school for sixth grade. In 2020, a second man alleged that Anderson abused him at age nine in Kingsford, Michigan. With Anderson’s death in 1981, criminal prosecution cannot proceed, but civil remedies against the diocese may still exist.
Criminal vs. Civil Sexual Abuse Cases
Criminal Cases
Criminal cases punish offenders through fines and imprisonment, and they are filed by prosecutors, not by survivors. Because Father Anderson died in 1981, he is no longer alive for anyone to pursue criminal charges against him.
Civil Lawsuits
Civil lawsuits are the survivor’s own legal action, seeking damages for therapy costs, pain and suffering, and emotional harm. A civil case can name the diocese or parish as a defendant, and it does not depend on the abuser being alive.
Statute of Limitations on Clergy Sexual Abuse Cases in Michigan
Michigan Legislature §600.5805 gives survivors the longer of ten years or until age 28 to file a civil sexual abuse suit. Michigan imposes no statute of limitations on first-degree criminal sexual conduct.
It is common for survivors to remain silent for decades, particularly when, as here, a child who spoke up was punished instead of believed. A confidential case review can determine whether your claim is still timely.
View All Accused Clergy in Michigan
Pursue Justice With Help From White Law PLLC
Dioceses can be held liable when officials knew or should have known about abuse and did nothing, failing to supervise the priest, ignoring complaints, or covering up reports. Survivors may recover damages for medical and counseling expenses, pain and suffering, and emotional distress.
To explore your options, call White Law PLLC at (517) 316-1195. We offer free consultations and handle these cases on a contingency basis.
Profiles summarize published records and allegations. Inclusion does not constitute a legal finding.