EL PASO, TEXAS (KFOX14/CBS4) — A civil lawsuit filed in April accuses a local recovery program and a religious counselor of sexually abusing five men enrolled in a court-mandated treatment program, according to court documents obtained by KFOX14/CBS4 on Monday.
According to the lawsuit, five former residents of Casa Vida de Salud say they were groomed, assaulted, and threatened by Jorge (George) Georgetti, a chaplain and recovery coach who worked closely with residents.
The Recovery Alliance of El Paso, a non-profit organization, operates residential and sober living recovery programs for those struggling with substance use and addiction, including Casa Vida, a 37-bed residential recovery center in central El Paso, according to its website.
In the lawsuit, five men say that through the summer of 2024, a spiritual advisor, Georgetti, used his authority over them to serially abuse them.
The lawsuit alleges Georgetti would routinely question residents of Casa Vida, including the five plaintiffs, under the pretense of spiritual guidance, but that the conversation would turn sexual, including questions about sexual abuse, sexual acts with men and women, homosexual thoughts, and favorite sexual positions.
In addition, Georgetti would regularly take residents to a restaurant and ask questions such as if they found waitresses attractive, whether they were aroused, or what sexual acts they would perform with the waitresses, the lawsuit states.
On multiple occasions, Georgetti had also taken residents to other locations where he had sexually assaulted residents, including his house, car, and his office at the recovery facility, under coercion and fear, the lawsuit alleges.
According to the lawsuit, El Paso Alliance allowed Georgetti to take residents on outings.
According to the lawsuit, the men feared speaking out due to Georgetti’s ability to report residents as non-compliant, which could lead to jail time, as Georgetti would remind them that failure to comply with his demands would result in their expulsion from the court-mandated program.
“If you don’t do this, I will throw you out,” Georgetti is quoted as saying, according to one of the alleged victims in the lawsuit.
According to court documents, when Giorgetti made advances and victims declined, he would threaten their positions at the facility.
“No one would believe an addict,” he’s quoted as saying.
The lawsuit from April 2025 is against El Paso Alliance of El Paso, Casa Vida De Salud, George Gabriel Giorgetti, and other defendants across the country.
Other defendants include the Holy Catholic Church Anglican Rite, the Diocese of the Holy Trinity and Great Plains and the Right Reverend Leo Joseph Michael. The suit claims they kept Georgetti as a spiritual leader and supervisor, with access to vulnerable residents, failing to act on complaints or red flags, and allowing the abuse to continue.
KFOX14/CBS4 has reached out Giorgetti’s lawyer, Gabriel S. Perez, who said he would be sending over a statement tomorrow.
KFOX14/CBS4 has also contacted Recovery Alliance of El Paso-Cada Vida Salud, but has not heard back in time for publication.
We also contacted the Holy Catholic Church Anglican Rite on Monday evening, but have not heard back in time.
One victim’s attorney, Jonathan Baeza told KFOX14/CBS4 in a statement in part, “These men deserve their day in court, and every recovery program should be on notice: you have a duty to protect the vulnerable people our community entrusts to your care.”
Another victim’s attorney, Daniela Labinoti said, “Casa Vida was supposed to be a place of recovery and safety for these young men. Instead, it empowered George Gabriel Georgetti, an ordained priest and program figure who wielded religious authority and institutional power to coerce, assault, and intimidate them. These young men were groomed, coerced, and sexually abused by a priest who was given unchecked power by both the facility and its church leadership. Our clients were vulnerable, court-mandated residents who were told ‘no one would believe an addict.’ These young men showed extraordinary courage in coming forward. They are telling their stories not only to seek justice for themselves, but to protect future residents because systems that allow abuse to thrive depend on silence. The facility knew. The church leadership knew. No one stepped in. This case is about accountability. It is about institutions that failed in their most basic duty: protecting the people they were trusted to serve.”
She added, “We stand with these Plaintiffs and will pursue justice to the fullest extent of the law. We believe them. And we will fight for them.”
The plaintiffs are seeking damages of over $1 million.
Georgetti is currently practicing at Our Lady of the Abandoned Holy Catholic Church Anglican Rite.
Georgetti practices Catholicism Anglican Rite. He is not part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of El Paso.
KFOX14/CBS4 has reached out to the Catholic Diocese of El Paso, which stated that Giorgetti is not associated with them.
In addition, Girgetti is also listed on the Catholic Diocese of El Paso as someone with whom they are not affiliated.
KFOX14/CBS4 has learned that we have previously spoken to Giorgetti in the past.
Most recently, in May 2025, after he returned from a trip to the Vatican, where he witnessed the election of Pope Leo.
Then, in 2020, when covering Giorgetti’s visits with COVID-19 patients.
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