Brother Tom Thing
Ordained: Unknown
Removed: 2004
Assignment History:
- 1974-1978: St. Anthony Seminary School (Santa Barbara, CA)
- St. Christopher (Las Vegas, NV)
- 1982-1983: Invested/Simple Vows
- 1983: St. Paul of the Shipwreck (San Francisco, CA)
- 1985: 7th Street Formation House
- 1990: St. Francis (Provo, UT)
- 1994: Old Mission San Luis Rey (Oceanside, CA)
- 1995: Leave of absence
- 1996-2001: University of San Diego (San Diego, CA)
- 2001: Health sabbatical
- 2003: Old Mission San Luis Rey (Oceanside, CA)
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Brother Tom Thing:
Br. Tom Thing was a member of the Franciscan Friars of California. Allegations of child sexual abuse by Thing surfaced when he was a pre-novitiate candidate at St. Anthony's Seminary in Santa Barbara, California. Thing was then transferred to the Diocese of Las Vegas, where allegations of abuse surfaced again when Thing worked at St. Christopher's Elementary School in North Las Vegas in the 1980s.
At least one survivor has come forward with allegations of child sexual abuse during this time. In 2003, he returned to Old Mission San Luis Ray where he was paired with a guardian to monitor his behavior. In 2004, Thing was officially released from the Order.
In 2011, a civil suit was filed against Thing in Las Vegas, alleging that he sexually abused a 7th-grade boy at St. Christopher Elementary School. From 2010 to 2011, it was reported that Thing was the director of student life at Rosemead Buddhist University. While at Rosemead Buddhist University, Thing allegedly had a relationship with a younger student.
Thing was named in civil lawsuits filed in 1995, 2004, and 2011. Thing has been living in Whittier, California, since 2017. He is listed on the Diocese of Las Vegas list of clergy credibly accused of sexual abuse of a minor, as well as on the Diocese of Oakland 2019 list, in addition to the Province of Saint Barbara's list.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Archdiocese of San Francisco in California. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in one of California's Catholic dioceses, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Archdiocese of San Francisco now have legal options due to a voluntary compensation fund created by the Archdiocese of San Francisco, but filing deadlines will apply so do not delay in reaching out to us. Our lawyers have decades of experience representing survivors of clergy sexual abuse in California and nationwide. We can help.
Contact us at 888-283-9922 or adam@adamhorowitzlaw.com to discuss your options today.