A man who sued the Roman Catholic Church and a former priest in state court earlier this year has filed another suit in federal court, alleging the same claims of attempted sexual assault in 1984.

The plaintiff is identified in each suit only as John Doe, although a state judge ruled earlier this month that the man must be identified by name if the state action is to proceed.

Attorney Myles Breiner, who represents the plaintiff along with lawyer David Gierlach, said that decision, by Circuit Judge Eden Hifo, will be appealed.

Named as defendants in both suits are the Catholic Church here as well as former priest Robert Burkholder, a convicted child molester. New defendants in the federal court action are the Roman Catholic Diocese in Detroit and the Vatican in Rome.

According to the suits, Burkholder attempted to forcibly sexually molest the plaintiff here in 1984.

In 2002, Burkholder pleaded no contest in Detroit to charges of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old Michigan boy while the two were on a trip to Hawai'i. Burkholder has since died.

Attorney Stephen Dyer, who represents the church in the state case, could not be reached for comment yesterday on the new suit.