Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Fr. James Lee

This page outlines the parish assignments, substantiated allegations of child sexual abuse, and institutional actions against Fr. James Lee, as part of Injury Lawyer Team’s legal representation of survivors in Michigan clergy abuse claims.

• Primary Entity Name: James William Lee, Jr.
• Common Variations / Aliases: Fr. James Lee, Father James W. Lee, James Lee
• Role/Title at Time of Incident: Parochial Vicar, Parochial Administrator, Pastor
• Current Status: Deceased

Public Identification and Clergy Status

Fr. James Lee was publicly listed as a credibly accused priest by the Diocese of Lansing and the Department of Michigan Attorney General. Fr. Lee faced multiple substantiated allegations of child sexual abuse that occurred in the years between 1948 and 1984, when he retired from the ministry. All allegations arose after Fr. Lee died in 1992, and, according to public records, no legal action was taken against him during his lifetime. 

• Entity that Listed Him: Diocese of Lansing; Michigan Attorney General (2024 report)
• Reason for Listing: Multiple substantiated allegations of sexual abuse against children

Key Status Facts

Ordination Year: 1948

Years in Active Ministry: 1948–1984

Locations Where He Served: Diocese of Lansing; Diocese of Crookston (Minnesota); Diocese of Lubbock (Texas)

Restrictions: No restrictions, laicizations, or criminal prosecutions prior to death

Died: 1992

Public Disclosure: Named in multiple Church and government lists, including the 2024 Attorney General’s report

Number of Survivors: Three, as stated in public reports

Assignment History

Primary Diocese: Diocese of Lansing

Parish Assignments (as documented in public reports):

• St. John — Benton Harbor, MI (date range not publicly specified)
• Resurrection — Lansing, MI (date range not publicly specified)
• St. John the Evangelist — Jackson, MI (date range not publicly specified)
• St. James — Mason, MI (date range not publicly specified)
• Our Lady of the Pines — Nevis, MN (date range not publicly specified) 
• St. Alice — Plainview, TX (date range not publicly specified)
• St. Dominic — Clinton, MI (date range not publicly specified)
• Holy Family — Grand Blanc, MI (date range not publicly specified)
• St. Joseph — Ypsilanti, MI (date range not publicly specified)
• St. Peter — Blissfield, MI (date range not publicly specified)

Known Allegations

After he died in 1992, Fr. James Lee was the subject of three sexual abuse allegations stemming from his time at the Diocese of Lansing. 

The first allegation was received in 1994 when an attorney for the victim, named John Doe 55 in the Attorney General’s report, alleged that Fr. John Lee had abused his client at age 13. In the letter, the attorney stated that Fr. Lee took John Doe 55 to his vacation cabin in Cadillac, MI. While the two were alone, Fr. Lee reportedly forced John Doe 55 to sleep in the same bed with him and performed oral sex on him. John Doe 55 reportedly fled the cabin. 

One of the allegations was not clarified in the public record, except that the child, named as John Doe 56, was eight years old.

The most notable allegation was received by the Diocese of Lansing in 2012, two decades after Fr. Lee’s death. The alleged victim, named as John Doe 57, stated that the abuse occurred during Fr. Lee’s assignment at St. Joseph Parish in Ypsilanti. 

The boy, then 13 or 14 years old, was asked to perform lawn maintenance. Fr. Lee compensated him with communion wine and beer. When the alleged victim was old enough to drive, Fr. Lee took him to Shanty Creek and abused him at least 20 times. The abuse reportedly involved oral sex, masturbation, and inappropriate touching.

Summary: After his death, the Diocese of Lansing received multiple substantiated and credible allegations of sexual abuse by Fr. James Lee during his time in the diocese. 

Overseeing Authorities During Key Periods:

• Bishop Joseph H. Albers — Diocese of Lansing
• Bishop Alexander M. Zaleski — Diocese of Lansing
• Bishop Kenneth J. Povish — Diocese of Lansing

Institutional Actions and Review

By the time that John Doe 55’s attorney contacted the Diocese of Lansing in 1994, Fr. Lee was already deceased. Diocesan legal counsel advised that the abuse had not occurred during the scope of Fr. Lee’s employment and was not condoned by the institution. Additionally, the legal counsel stated that the statute of limitations barred any claims against the diocese. However, the Attorney General’s report notes that the matter was settled for $60,000. 

According to the Attorney General’s reports, there are no records of settlements for John Doe 56’s case. 

John Doe 57’s claim, which was received in 2012, was referred to the Washtenaw County Prosecuting Attorney. The Diocese of Lansing also informed Washtenaw County of the previous two allegations, which had not been placed in a file. Prior to this referral, the Diocese of Lansing did not have a policy of reporting allegations against deceased clergy. 

There are no available public records or statements from the Diocese of Crookston (Minnesota) or the Diocese of Lubbock (Texas) regarding Fr. Lee’s assignments. 

It was not until 2019 that Fr. Lee appeared on a list of accused clergy in Michigan, when the Diocese of Lansing released its disclosure. Fr. Lee was also included in the Michigan Attorney General’s 2024 report on the Diocese of Lansing. 

Timeline

1948 — Ordained in Flint, MI

1984 — Retired to senior priest status 

1992 — Died

1994 — John Doe 55 alleges abuse and settles with the Diocese of Lansing

2002 — John Doe 56 alleges abuse; Diocese of Lansing issues an apology

2012 — John Doe 57 alleges abuse; Diocese of Lansing refers case to Washtenaw County Prosecuting Attorney

2019 — Included in the 2019 Diocese of Lansing list of credibly abused priests

2024 — Included in the 2024 Michigan Attorney General’s report on Diocese of Lansing

Speak With an Attorney

If you or a loved one were abused by Fr. James Lee or another Michigan clergy member, you may have a legal claim. Injury Lawyer Team provides legal representation for survivors of clergy abuse statewide, respecting the sensitive nature of these disclosures. Contact a Michigan clergy abuse attorney for a confidential consultation about your legal rights. 

Sources

This page is based on public records, official Church disclosures, legal filings, and survivor reports, including the following:

• The 2024 Michigan Attorney General report on the Diocese of Lansing, which lists Fr. Lee as a credibly accused priest.
• The 2019 Diocese of Lansing list of credibly accused priests, which names Fr. Lee’s previous parish assignments.
• Fr. James Lee’s listing on the Bishop-Accountability.org website, which compiles the list of Church documents and public records detailing the accusations against Fr. James Lee. 

No criminal conviction is implied unless explicitly stated in public court records or official Church reports.

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.