NILES (MI)
WZZM - ABC 13 [Grand Rapids MI]
June 9, 2026
By Cali Lichter
A recent report accuses a former Kalamazoo-area Catholic priest of inappropriate conduct and sexual abuse in two states.
A new report details allegations against a former Michigan Catholic priest, accused of spraying a former parishioner with holy water before sexually assaulting him and other inappropriate conduct and sexual abuse complaints spanning two states.
Rev. Thomas King, C.S.C. Fr. King, has allegations dating back to the 1980s while he was working in Indiana, through his time working at a church in Niles, MI, in the Diocese of Kalamazoo.
The report was made public in late May, after Notre Dame University President Rev. Robert Dowd and Board of Trustee’s chair John Veihmeyer requested the investigation in Sept. 2025 following allegations against King while he was at the university. These concerns dated back to 2018 about the handling of allegations against Fr. King raised by alumni.
Investigators found multiple individuals who were sexually touched or assaulted by King, both at Notre Dame and after he left.
“Senior leaders of Notre Dame are fully committed to students’ and alumni wellbeing and have been deeply affected by the experiences of members of the community and others who have shared very painful memories,” the report said.
“Despite this, with respect to allegations concerning Fr. King raised since 2018, the University did not recognize the reported conduct to be at a minimum boundary crossing and, more seriously, grooming behavior because the weighing scheme was not properly understood as sexual and did not include touching or specific sexual assault. This limited opportunities for Notre Dame to learn the full extent of Fr. King’s past sexual abuse earlier.”
King’s counsel refused investigators’ request for an interview, according to the report.
The report details several allegations of inappropriate conduct and sexual abuse in multiple locations in Indiana. The allegations against him in Michigan date back to the late 2000s.
In 2007, after leaving Holy Cross College, Fr. King joined St. Mark Catholic Church, a parish in Niles, MI. This is in the Diocese of Kalamazoo. According to the report, he originally joined the parish as the administrator before transitioning to the role of pastor in 2008.
Investigators met with a former parishioner who described an incident with Fr. King after confession. The parishioner alleges that after confession, he was asked to meet Fr. King in his office at the rectory.
According to the report, at the meeting, Fr. King told the parishioner to remove his shirt. He allegedly began circling the parishioner’s body, spraying his bare chest and back with holy water. He also allegedly sprayed the parishioner in the face with holy water.
In the process, Fr. King allegedly grabbed the parishioner’s groin area.
“The parishioner, who was in shock, sat down. Fr. King then proceeded to request that the parishioner bring pornographic films for them to watch together,” the report said.
When the parishioner left that evening, he never returned to St. Mark. He did not report the incident to the Diocese or the Order.
In 2012, the report says parishioners started expressing concerns about Fr. King’s health and behavior.
He allegedly had “dramatic mood swings, uncontrollable anger, and public outbursts.”
Around 2018, those concerns escalated.
“He was increasingly irritable and volatile, lashing out at parishioners.”
Leadership from the Order met with Fr. King to discuss his “deteriorating health and erratic behavior.”
The Order decided it was best for Fr. King to leave Niles. Witnesses told investigators that Fr. King was removed for health reasons, but the Order acknowledged that the information reported by the ‘2018 Reporter’ was a factor in the removal.
In 2020, that reporter wrote to the Diocese of Kalamazoo directly with his September 2018 letter to Notre Dame reporting his allegations against Fr. King.
“In his note, the 2018 Reporter asked Bishop Paul Bradley whether the Order ever informed him of his grievance against Fr. King. The Diocese reported the matter to the Michigan AG’s office in compliance with their process, as they had not been previously made aware of the allegations. The Diocese also informed the Assistant Provincial of the 2018 Reporter’s outreach,” the report said.
In Jan. 2020, he was placed into Holy Cross House, a place for retired, elderly, or ill members of the Order.
In 2025, a 2023 reporter reached out to the Diocese with allegations against Fr. King at Notre Dame while he worked at Holy Cross College. At the time, the Diocese reported the allegations to Notre Dame Police, South Bend Police, and State Police.
In a statement provided to 13 ON YOUR SIDE, the Diocese of Kalamazoo said in part:
“Today the University of Notre Dame released its findings into allegations involving Reverend Thomas King, a priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross. Father King was pastor of St. Mark Parish, Niles from 2007 – 2019. The report details an allegation of sexual misconduct by Father King that occurred during his pastoral ministry at St. Mark’s. The Diocese first learned of the allegation this week and immediately forwarded the allegation to the Attorney General’s office.”
They encourage anyone with information related to clergy sexual misconduct to call the Attorney General’s Office’s reporting number, 844-324-3374.
The Diocese also welcomes additional information that “may shed light on any past or present cases of child sexual abuse, as well as any indications of actions that would disqualify and prohibit someone from working with children and youth in the Diocese of Kalamazoo.”
They also encourage anyone dealing with the effects of child sexual abuse or other childhood trauma to contact the Diocesan Trauma Recovery Program.