ORLANDO (FL)
WOFL-TV, Fox-35 [Orlando FL]
May 30, 2025
By Marie Edinger
[See also the text of the lawsuit.]
The Brief
- A man is suing the Diocese of Orlando for $25 million and demanding a trial by jury after allegations of a pastor sexually abusing him and potentially others “for years.”
- The lawsuit also alleges that the church, school, parish and Diocese did nothing to stop it, even “commit[ing] willful acts of disregard and concealing” it.
- Police believe the alleged sexual abuse by the pastor may be linked to a deadly triple shooting in Palm Bay one year ago.
A man is suing the Diocese of Orlando for $25 million and demanding a trial by jury after allegations of a pastor sexually abusing him and potentially others “for years.”
Police believe the alleged sexual abuse by the pastor may be linked to a deadly triple shooting in Palm Bay one year ago.
What happened?
What we know:
In a civil lawsuit, filed on Friday, a man is claiming that a pastor at the Diocese of Orlando, Robert Hoeffner, sexually abused him and potentially others “for years.” The lawsuit also alleges that the church, school, parish and Diocese did nothing to stop it, even “commit[ing] willful acts of disregard and concealing” it.
The alleged victim who filed the lawsuit, 26-year-old Shawn Teuber, says “Father Bob” started grooming him when he was in the seventh grade at St. Joseph Catholic School in Palm Bay, which is operated by the Diocese of Orlando.
The lawsuit claims that between 2012 and 2014, Father Bob would pull Teuber out of class, lunchtime and school events to be alone with him, and that he abused the young boy while at school, in his car and at his home.
The lawsuit also says that a student reported concerns about Father Bob’s relationship with the alleged victim and with other male students during that time, but the warning went unheeded.
“Each of the defendants’ acts, conduct and omissions in failing to prevent Father Bob, a prolific pedophile and child sex abuser, from committing child sexual abuse with impunity in his role and duties as priest sexual predator, giving him unfettered and unsupervised access to a vulnerable population of underage males, was extreme and outrageous, going beyond all bounds of decency,” the lawsuit alleges.
What they’re saying:
“I’ve carried this pain for years, and I couldn’t stay silent any longer,” Teuber said in a press conference held on Friday. “By sharing my story today, I hope to show others they’re not alone — and to make sure this doesn’t happen to another person.”
“I can’t walk past a church or see anything religious without feeling sick and anxious,” Teuber added. “I have trouble sleeping and horrible mood swings. This has taken over my life in ways I never imagined.”
Jeff Herman, founding attorney of Herman Law and an advocate for survivors of sexual abuse, said: “The evidence and testimony we shared today leave no doubt about what happened to the survivor. Institutions that were supposed to protect him instead enabled a prolific abuser. This case is about more than one survivor — it’s about exposing the pattern of cover-ups and demanding accountability for those who failed to protect children.”
The other side:
“The allegations reflected in the Herman Law post reiterate prior news stories arising out of this tragic shooting event,” representatives from the Diocese of Orlando said in a prepared statement on Friday. “The Diocese of Orlando was not made aware of any allegations of abuse during Father Robert Hoeffner’s pastoral leadership, nor after he retired in 2016. We continue to pray for the Palm Bay and St. Joseph community and all involved.”
Police link 2024 triple shooting to possible past abuse by priest
Dig deeper:
Police believe the alleged sexual abuse by the pastor may be linked to a deadly triple shooting in Palm Bay one year ago.
Investigators say 24-year-old Brandon Kapas murdered Father Bob, the priest’s sister and his own grandfather before shooting two police officers. Kapas was then shot and killed by law enforcement.
At the time, officers could not determine a reason for the attack, but new reports suggested Kapas may have been sexually abused by Hoeffner, according to the Palm Bay Police Department.
Officers said they discovered a folder at the priest’s home containing questionable notes, and a former classmate alleged that Hoeffner had inappropriately touched him, though he did not know if Kapas was also a victim.
In addition, the recent civil lawsuit filed mentions a person named “B.K.” as a friend of Teuber’s who he says he saw in Father Bob’s home.
The backstory:
Kapas and Hoeffner first met when the priest worked at Kapas’ Catholic school, and neighbors reported seeing Kapas at Hoeffner’s home on a weekly basis.
Police say Kapas texted Hoeffner the night before the shooting, warning him with cryptic messages such as, “You have woken up all of Egypt… Ancient ones know what you have done.”
Kapas’ family was unaware of any allegations of abuse but noted that Hoeffner’s relationship with him seemed unusual, with the priest reportedly buying him a vehicle and sharing a bank account.
What we don’t know:
While the report indicates Kapas may have been abused, there is no direct confirmation that he was a victim of Hoeffner’s alleged misconduct. Kapas never spoke to his family about any past abuse.
It remains uncertain whether the discovered notes at Hoeffner’s home were written by him or someone else. The full extent of Hoeffner’s relationship with Kapas — and whether it directly influenced the shooting — has yet to be fully determined.