(FL)
WSET-TV, ABC-13 [Lynchburg VA]
July 23, 2025
By Rachel Branning
ROANOKE, Va. (WSET) — Father George Zina, a priest at St. Elias Catholic Church Maronite Center in Roanoke, is named in a lawsuit that accuses him of sexually abusing a young boy in the early 2000s.
The lawsuit, filed in Orange County, Florida, by John Doe, is asking for compensation of $10 million in damages, filed against the Diocese of Orlando, Holy Family Catholic Church Orlando Inc. and St. Jude Maronite Catholic Church.
Jenny Rossman, a Lead Trial Attorney with Herman Law leading the suit, alleges that the abuse began when John Doe was just nine years old, working as an altar server at Holy Family Catholic Church under the priesthood of Zina.
This is a lawsuit that is against the institutions… We’re alleging that they were negligent. They failed to protect our client, John Doe, who was a child, a parishioner at the churches, and an altar server. They failed to protect him from who he has alleged sexually abused him, Father Zina,” Rossman said. “They knew, or they should have known, that Father Zina was unsafe.”
The suit alleges that Zina often gave the plaintiff special attention, referring to him as his ‘best boy’ and giving him shoulder massages, in the presence of other priests and employees of both parishes and the diocese.
Rossman said that the plaintiff and his family developed a close relationship with Zina, even following him to a second church assignment, St. Jude Maronite Catholic Church, where they allege the grooming and abuse continued.
“He got lots of special attention, singling out both emotionally and physically,” she said. “He was taken places alone with Father Zina that would’ve been visible to others within the church, where he was abused… That special attention, it should have raised a red flag to those within the church who saw the special attention. When an institution is aware of red flags, they need to investigate to determine if there is a danger present. No investigation was done, so he was never able to be made safe.”
According to the suit, the plaintiff alleges that Zina told John Doe that “God chooses one altar server to be with the priest in a same-sex relationship that God approves of, and that he and Plaintiff would eventually live together.”
He was told things to keep his compliance and his silence, like, this one is a bit disturbing, but that ‘God blessed’ their ‘relationship,'” Rossman said. “For a kid to hear these things from his priest while he was a parishioner at the church, and the church plays a very major role in his life and his family’s life, is going to have lifelong effects. Not to mention, the actual sexual abuse that took place, which was horrific and occurred countless times over years and caused John Doe’s life to take a completely different path than it would have.”
The lawsuit states that Zina was placed on leave from 2009 to 2010, before he was transferred to a Roman Catholic Church in Springfield, Massachusetts. He began his priesthood at Saint Elias Catholic Church in Roanoke in 2022.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to ABC13 News that their sex crimes detectives conducted a criminal investigation into the matter. They said over email, “Our detectives filed criminal charges against George Zina with the State Attorney’s Office, which will have to review the case to determine whether they will prosecute.”
ABC13 News reached out to the 9th District State Attorney’s Office, representing Orange County, asking if they plan to prosecute, but we haven’t heard back.
At this point, Zina remains in ministry. ABC13 received this statement from the Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn, which oversees all East Coast Maronite Catholic Churches, including St. Elias:
“In January of this year, Father George Zina informed the Eparchy that he received a phone call from a woman alleging that many years ago, while assigned in Orlando, Father Zina had inappropriately touched her son. The woman claimed that her son was a minor at that time.
A complaint was made to local law enforcement, who in turn contacted Father Zina as part of an investigation into the claim. Law enforcement thereafter contacted the Eparchy.
Father Zina and the Eparchy have cooperated fully with the investigation. To date, there has been no finding on the part of law enforcement as to the veracity of the claim.
Earlier this week, the Eparchy learned that a lawsuit was filed against the Diocese of Orlando that names Father Zina as an alleged perpetrator.
Father Zina immediately denied the claim and continues to strongly deny the claim. He has vowed to defend his good name and reputation.
The Eparchy has never received a complaint from the alleged victim.
The Eparchy has never received a complaint of this nature against Father Zina in his more than 38 years of priestly ministry.
In accordance with Eparchial policies and procedures, the Eparchial Review Board reviewed the matter. Given that the Eparchy has never received a complaint from the alleged victim, that the law enforcement investigation remains pending, and that no criminal charges have been filed against Father Zina, it was the opinion of the Review Board that no action was to be taken against Father Zina at this time.
Therefore, in accordance with the Eparchial Policy to Address Claims of Sexual Abuse of Minors by Priests and Deacons (Page 3, Paragraph 4), Father Zina remains in ministry.”
The attorney for Zina and the St. Elias Parish, Roanoke-based Ray Ferris, said in a statement to ABC13 News, “The parish and Father Zina are aware of the accusations and we are not making any further comments at this time.”
ABC13 also reached out to the Diocese of Orlando and both churches named in the lawsuit, with no response.