Profile Facts
- Name
- Thomas William Ryan
- Role
- Priest
- Diocese
- Diocese of Saginaw
- Ordained
- 1935
- Status
- Accused
- Died
- 1/25/1975
- Records
- Diocesan and public records
Survivors sometimes learn they were not the only one, and that discovery can be both painful and empowering. The clergy sexual abuse lawyers at White Law PLLC help Michigan survivors turn shared experiences into powerful cases for accountability and compensation.
Father Thomas William Ryan was ordained in 1935 and served in the Diocese of Saginaw for decades. The diocese named him credibly accused in 2019, and the Michigan Attorney General’s 2026 Saginaw report documented allegations against him. This page summarizes the reported facts and Michigan legal options.
Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Saginaw
Mid-Michigan’s Diocese of Saginaw joins six others, the Archdiocese of Detroit and the Dioceses of Grand Rapids, Lansing, Kalamazoo, Gaylord, and Marquette, in comprising Michigan’s Catholic landscape. The Attorney General’s statewide clergy-abuse investigation, launched in 2018, released its Saginaw report in June 2026, adding official documentation to Ryan’s record.
Working with a Michigan clergy sexual abuse lawyer helps survivors use corroborating accounts from other victims to build a stronger civil case.
The Allegations Against Father Thomas William Ryan
The 2006 Report
According to published records, the Michigan Attorney General’s June 25, 2026 Diocese of Saginaw Report revealed that in 2006, a woman told the diocese she had been sexually abused by Ryan from 1961 to 1968, beginning when she was in second grade. She said she would hide in the bushes because she did not want to go to school, and she was sent to a psychologist. The reported abuse included intercourse and took place in Ryan’s office. Ryan, ordained in 1935 for the Diocese of Grand Rapids, became a priest of the Diocese of Saginaw when it was created in 1938 and was assigned to St. Brigid in Midland during the time in question.
A Classmate’s Disclosure
The woman said that at a class reunion in the 1990s, a classmate disclosed that Ryan had abused her too. Ryan was named publicly as credibly accused by the Saginaw diocese on its list of April 10, 2019. He died on January 25, 1975, so criminal charges are no longer possible, but survivors may still bring civil claims against his estate or the diocese.
Criminal vs. Civil Sexual Abuse Cases
Criminal prosecution and civil litigation are separate remedies. The state brings criminal cases to impose punishment such as imprisonment. Survivors bring civil cases to recover damages for their injuries and suffering. A civil lawsuit can succeed even when no criminal case was ever filed.
Church institutions face civil exposure as well. When diocesan leaders knew or should have known about abusive behavior and failed to prevent it, hid reports, or neglected proper screening and training, Michigan law may hold the diocese liable.
Statute of Limitations on Clergy Sexual Abuse Cases in Michigan
Michigan law sets the civil deadline for sexual abuse claims at ten years, or until the survivor turns 28, whichever is later, under MCL §600.5805. First-degree criminal sexual conduct is not subject to any statute of limitations. The extended civil timeframe exists because trauma and suppressed memories so often delay reporting.
Survivors should still act without unnecessary delay, since the exact deadline turns on the facts of each case.
View All Accused Clergy in Michigan
Pursue Justice With Help From White Law PLLC
If Father Thomas William Ryan or any other priest harmed you, Michigan law may provide compensation for medical and therapy expenses, pain and suffering, and emotional distress. When multiple survivors come forward, their accounts can reinforce one another, and White Law PLLC knows how to present that evidence with care.
Call (517) 316-1195 when you are ready to talk, or find us at . Our commitment is to Michigan survivors, and it does not waver.
Profiles summarize published records and allegations. Inclusion does not constitute a legal finding.