FLORIDA CLERGY SEXUAL ABUSE LAWSUITS

Representing Clergy Abuse Lawsuits in Florida

In recent years, various record releases and court filings have produced evidence of a rampant sexual abuse problem within Florida’s Catholic dioceses. In addition to numerous cases of clergy abuse against children, the evidence also shows that church leadership engaged in a decades-long coverup that enabled abusive Catholic priests to abuse children without consequence.

In November 2020, the Florida Office of Statewide Prosecution released its Report on Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church in Florida.  The report identified 97 priests with credible allegations of sexual abuse of minors in Florida.  The report further found that Dioceses regularly reassigned priests accused of abuse to new parishes or states without notifying law enforcement or parishioners, church leadership often delayed reports to authorities and sometimes actively hid evidence — including internal documents showing awareness of priests’ predatory behavior and the “circle of secrecy,” previously exposed by a report from the Pennsylvania AG into the Catholic Church, was confirmed statewide in Florida.

As examples, the Archdiocese of Orlando had 43 credibly accused priests, the Diocese of Orlando had 27 credibly accused priests, the Diocese of St. Petersburg had 10 credibly accused priests, the Diocese of Venice had 9 credibly accused priests, the Diocese of St. Augustine had 5 credibly accused priests and the Diocese of Palm Beach had 5 credibly accused priests.

Now, survivors are stepping forward in increasing numbers to seek justice and hold the Church accountable. Our Florida church sex abuse lawyers at Levy Konigsberg are here to help.

Legacy of Clergy Abuse in Florida Catholic Dioceses

The dark legacy of clergy abuse within Florida Catholic churches has been made apparent through various high-profile legal filings and internal record releases.

For example:

• In July 2025, three men filed lawsuits against Florida clergy, alleging they were groomed and sexually abused as minors by priests, including Bob Hoeffner and George Zina.  Hoeffner allegedly abused multiple men before being shot and killed in Palm Bay in 2024. Zina allegedly abused the victim for several years, beginning when the victim was 9 years old, during the 2000s.

• In June 2025, a lawsuit was filed against the Archdiocese of Miami over alleged repeated grooming and rape of a 16-year old boy by former priest Neil Doherty in the 1990s. The Archdiocese allegedly knew as early as 1958 that Doherty posed a risk to children but failed to take action.  In 2002, Doherty was permanently removed from ministry. In 2013, he was convicted of multiple sexual offenses and sentenced to 15 years in prison.  He was accused of sexually abusing numerous boys, allegedly providing them with drugs and alcohol before abusing them.

In November 2011, a Miami jury awarded a $100 million verdict against Doherty. 

• In April 2004, it was reported that the Catholic Diocese of St. Petersburg will pay over $1 million to twelve men who alleged that former priest Robert Schaeufele sexually abused them as boys, aged 9 to 14, beginning in the mid-1970s. The diocese allegedly knew about the abuse but failed to take action. In 2003, Schaeufele was sentenced to 30 years in prison. 

• In June 1998, Bishop Joseph Keith Symons of the Diocese of Palm Beach resigned after admitting to sexually abusing five boys nearly 40 years earlier.  One victim alleged that Symons began molesting him for three years starting when he was 13 years old.

Do I Have A Case?

You may have a sexual abuse claim against the Catholic Church if:

• You were sexually abused as a minor or an adult within the Church.
• The abuser was a priest, clergy member, or some other Church volunteer or employee.
• Your abuse occurred at any time in the past.

As with civil sexual abuse cases, claims filed with the bankruptcy settlement fund are separate from any criminal proceedings that may arise from abuse. Instead, they focus on holding the Archdiocese liable for damages. This means you may still have a claim even if:

• Your abuser is no longer alive.
• Your abuser was never charged or convicted of a crime.

Determining whether you have grounds to pursue a claim can be challenging, which is why our team at Levy Konigsberg is readily available to help.

Recoverable Damages in Sexual Abuse Claims

In addition to providing accountability and a sense of justice, civil sex abuse lawsuits allow survivors to recover financial compensation for their damages, which may include:

• Past medical and mental health expenses
• Future mental health expenses, including therapy, medications, etc.
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional anguish and psychological harm
• Lost income
• Other economic and non-economic damages

Florida Sexual Abuse Attorneys

The amount of time that a victim of childhood sexual abuse in Florida has to file a lawsuit depends on the facts and circumstances of the particular case. We recommend that you reach out to us if you have questions about the statute of limitations in your case.  For those who were sexually abused in privately-operated Florida juvenile residential facilities when they were under age 16, and were born after July 1, 1988, there should be no statute of limitations that applies. So, in most cases, this means that a person who experienced sexual assault when under age 16 is permitted to file a civil lawsuit at any time so long as they were born after July 1, 1988 (i.e. the person did not turn age 22 as of July 1, 2010).

Levy Konigsberg is actively investigating allegations of sexual abuse by Florida Clergy.