Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Thomas R. Physician

This page documents the publicly reported assignments, allegations of child sexual abuse, and institutional actions involving Fr. Thomas R. Physician,  as part of the Injury Lawyer Team’s legal representation of survivors in Michigan clergy abuse cases.

• Primary Entity Name: Thomas R. Physician
• Common Variations / Aliases: Thomas Physician, Fr. Thomas Physician, Father Thomas Physician
• Role/Title at Time of Incident: Parish priest
• Current Status: Deceased

Public Identification and Clergy Status

Fr. Thomas R. Physician, was publicly identified as a credibly and criminally accused priest by multiple entities and public disclosures, including:

• The Associated Press, through reporting on a May 2004 civil lawsuit that named him
• The Archdiocese of Detroit, Michigan
• The Detroit News, which reported on the same May 2004 filing and related public statements

He was placed on administrative leave by the Archdiocese of Detroit after the allegations became public, and his name remained publicly disclosed after his death.

• Entity that Listed Him: Archdiocese of Detroit, with initial public exposure through Associated Press reporting
• Reason for Listing: A civil lawsuit alleging child sexual abuse during parish ministry, which the Archdiocese deemed credible enough to warrant removal from ministry and public disclosure

Key Status Facts

Ordination Year: 1958

Years in Active Ministry: 1958–2002

Locations Where He Served: Precious Blood Parish, Detroit (MI)

Restrictions: Placed on administrative leave on January 3, 2004, which prohibited public ministry, wearing clerical attire, or presenting himself publicly as a priest

Criminal Charges: Police and prosecutorial authorities were referenced in reporting, but no criminal charges were filed

Died: August 23, 2004

Public Disclosure: Included on the Archdiocese of Detroit’s official list of clergy credibly accused of sexual abuse on June 10, 2019

Assignment History

Primary Archdiocese: Archdiocese of Detroit

Parish Assignments (as documented in public reports): 

Precious Blood Parish – Detroit, MI (dates not specified)

No publicly available records document additional parish assignments, non-parish institutional roles, or ministry placements beyond the parish setting referenced in the civil allegation.

Public reporting linked the allegation to his early years of service in the Archdiocese of Detroit, although the underlying personnel details were not released.

Known Allegations

Publicly reported allegations against Fr. Thomas R. Physician center on a single civil claim of sexual abuse involving a minor during his parish ministry in Detroit. According to court filings and contemporaneous media reporting, the alleged misconduct occurred at Precious Blood Parish in Detroit during the early 1970s.

The lawsuit was reported as filed in Wayne County Circuit Court and was presented publicly alongside other claims involving different priests and parishes.

The plaintiff was identified as William Johnson, who alleged that the abuse occurred repeatedly over a multi-year period while he was a minor, approximately between the ages of fourteen and seventeen. At the time, Physician was serving as a parish priest with regular access to minors through parish activities.

The allegation describes repeated sexual abuse rather than an isolated incident, with the plaintiff asserting that the misconduct occurred within the context of Physician’s pastoral authority. The setting identified in the civil lawsuit places the alleged abuse within parish-connected environments consistent with his assigned ministry at the time.

Public records reviewed do not document multiple independent accusers, additional dioceses, or separate institutions connected to the allegations. No publicly available criminal filings detail expanded time frames, additional victims, or further allegations beyond the single civil claim that entered the public record in 2004.

Contemporaneous coverage also described the plaintiffs as supported by an advocacy group, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), whose founder, Barbara Blaine, appeared publicly at the courthouse during the announcement of the filing.

Summary: Fr. Thomas R. Physician was accused in a single civil lawsuit of sexually abusing a minor during his parish ministry at Precious Blood Parish in Detroit in the early 1970s.

Overseeing Authorities During Key Periods

• Cardinal John Dearden – Archdiocese of Detroit
• Archbishop Edmund C. Szoka – Archdiocese of Detroit

Institutional Actions and Review

Public records indicate that Church authorities became formally aware of the allegation against Fr. Thomas R. Physician in early 2004, when a civil lawsuit was filed alleging child sexual abuse during his parish ministry in the early 1970s.

There is no publicly available documentation indicating that Church officials were notified of this specific allegation at the time the alleged abuse occurred, nor are there records of earlier internal complaints recorded in his personnel file prior to the lawsuit.

At the time the allegation surfaced, Physician had already retired in 2002. Following the filing of the civil suit and related media reporting, the Archdiocese of Detroit placed him on administrative leave effective January 3, 2004, formally restricting his ability to engage in ministry despite his retired status.

The allegation was referred to Wayne County prosecutors, who declined to pursue charges due to the passage of time. Public sources do not indicate that Physician was reassigned, transferred, or returned to ministerial duties after the administrative action was imposed.

Public statements attributed to Archdiocese representatives described the allegation as serious and substantive, while also emphasizing cooperation with civil authorities through a voluntary reporting arrangement with prosecutors in southeast Michigan.

Available records do not show that information about allegations was shared during prior transfers, nor do they document earlier concerns or warnings in diocesan files before 2004. Physician died in August 2004, several months after the administrative restriction was imposed.

The Archdiocese of Detroit later publicly disclosed his name by including him on its official list of clergy credibly accused of sexual abuse, released in June 2019, indicating that public disclosure occurred years after the initial allegation rather than contemporaneously.

Timeline

1958 — Ordained as a priest in the Archdiocese of Detroit

Early 1970s — Alleged sexual abuse reportedly occurred at Precious Blood Parish in Detroit during the accuser’s teenage years

2002 — Retired from active ministry

January 3, 2004 — Placed on administrative leave by the Archdiocese of Detroit

May 2004 — Civil lawsuit filed alleging sexual abuse during parish ministry in the early 1970s

May 2004 — Lawsuit reported as seeking class-action status, with the priests identified as alleged co-conspirators while damages were pursued from the Archdiocese

August 23, 2004 — Died

June 10, 2019 — Publicly listed by the Archdiocese of Detroit

Speak With an Attorney

Survivors of sexual abuse linked to Fr. Thomas R. Physician or other Catholic priests serving in Michigan may still have the opportunity to pursue justice. At Injury Lawyer Team, our sexual abuse attorneys focus on respectful, survivor-first advocacy across the state.

You can reach out to speak privately with a Michigan clergy abuse lawyer to discuss your situation, understand your rights, and explore your available legal options.

Sources and Public Records

This page is based on public records, official Church disclosures, and compiled reporting from recognized clergy-abuse documentation sources, including the following:

• Archdiocese of Detroit clergy abuse disclosure records, which publicly list Fr. Thomas R. Physician, following internal review and classification as a priest credibly accused of sexual abuse of a minor.
• BishopAccountability.org, which compiles diocesan disclosures, civil court references, and contemporaneous media reporting related to abuse allegations involving Fr. Thomas R. Physician during his parish ministry in Detroit.
• ConsumerSafety.org’s overview of accused Catholic clergy, which summarizes publicly reported allegations and institutional disclosures involving priests identified by diocesan authorities, including references to Fr. Thomas R. Physician.
• Associated Press reporting on the May 2004 lawsuit, which identifies William Johnson as the plaintiff alleging abuse at Precious Blood Church, and describes the administrative leave imposed in January 2004.
• Detroit News coverage of the May 2004 filing, which describes the lawsuit’s structure and public statements made by Archdiocese representatives and SNAP leadership.

No criminal conviction, judicial finding of guilt, or institutional determination beyond what is expressly stated in public court filings or official Church disclosures is implied.

All content undergoes thorough legal review by experienced attorneys, including Jonathan Rosenfeld. With 25 years of experience in personal injury law and over 100 years of combined legal expertise within our team, we ensure that every article is legally accurate, compliant, and reflects current legal standards.