Pitt McGehee Palmer Bonanni & Rivers Secures Michigan Court of Appeals Ruling in Ippel v. Grace Christian Reformed Church, Expanding Justice for Childhood Sexual Abuse Survivors Statewide
The Michigan Court of Appeals has revived Marian Ippel’s claims against Grace Christian Reformed Church, confirming that Ippel’s claims are covered by the 2018 extension for minor victims of sexual assault to file civil claims by age 28. While the facts of Ippel’s case occurred before the Legislature created the extension in 2018, the Court of Appeals confirmed that the 2018 rules apply to Ippel’s case because her claims were still timely in 2018 when the extension was passed. This ruling clarifies a critical aspect of the 2018 reforms.
Pitt McGehee Palmer Bonanni & Rivers attorneys Megan Bonanni, Kevin Carlson, and Danielle Canepa represent Ippel in her lawsuit. Ippel alleges she was sexually abused as a child by a deacon and member of Grace Christian Reformed Church, and that the church and related organizations enabled the abuse by ignoring a well-documented history of child sexual abuse within their institutions. The trial court dismissed her case in 2024, reasoning that the 2018 law did not apply to her claims.
On appeal, the Court of Appeals corrected this error, explaining that the lower court misapplied the Michigan Supreme Court decision in McLain v. Roman Catholic Diocese of Lansing. While McLain held that the 2018 reforms could not revive already-expired claims, the plain text of the 2018 statute permits minor victims of criminal sexual conduct to bring suit at any time before their 28th birthday. Because Ippel was 15 years old when the law was enacted, her claims had not yet expired, and her filing before age 28 was timely.
After two years in limbo, this opinion allows Marian Ippel’s case to finally move forward and opens the door for other survivors to come forward with their own claims.
Read about the opinion here: https://michiganadvance.com/2026/07/15/state-appeals-court-revives-sexual-abuse-lawsuit-against-grand-rapids-church/