Chapelstreet Church Lawsuit Over Youth Leader Sexual Abuse

The Chapelstreet Church lawsuit is a civil case filed October 21, 2025, in Kane County, Illinois, in which a 21-year-old plaintiff identified as “John Doe” alleges that former youth leader Don Vanthournout sexually abused him from 2011 to 2018, and that interim lead pastor Brian Coffey knew as early as 2010 that Vanthournout had abused another boy decades earlier but kept the matter quiet instead of protecting children. The suit names the church, officially First Baptist Church of Geneva and known as Chapelstreet, along with Vanthournout and Coffey as defendants. The plaintiff is seeking more than $150,000 in damages.¹

What the Plaintiff Alleges

John Doe’s parents were missionaries, and the family occasionally stayed at Vanthournout’s home in Kane County while on furlough, including the summers of 2011, 2017, and 2018. The complaint alleges Vanthournout groomed the boy and sexually abused him at that residence over a seven-year period, beginning when the plaintiff was a minor.²

Throughout that same window, according to the suit, Vanthournout remained a member of Chapelstreet and held “positions of leadership and authority” with the church, giving him continued contact with young people.³

Why the Church and Coffey Are Named

The claim against church leadership rests on an earlier accuser. The lawsuit says Vanthournout sexually abused a 14-year-old boy in 1983, during an overnight trip tied to a Baptist church in St. Charles, Illinois, when Vanthournout was in his 20s.⁴ In 2007, that earlier victim confronted Vanthournout directly, and Vanthournout responded in writing: “I feel horrible that you have suffered as you have because of me.”⁵

In April 2010, that earlier victim, identified in the complaint as “Victim #1,” contacted Coffey through a series of emails and then met with him on April 16, 2010, at Chapelstreet’s east campus. Victim #1 shared his account and provided evidence of Vanthournout’s written admission.⁶

Coffey said he would raise the matter with the church’s “Senior Elders.” In a September 2010 email quoted in the suit, Coffey wrote that he wanted to keep Vanthournout “out of student ministries while also keeping this issue as confidential as possible,” and said he would give Vanthournout the chance to “quietly turn his sabbatical into a ‘resignation’ from all student ministries.”² The complaint alleges those steps were never carried out in any meaningful way, that the congregation was not warned, and that Vanthournout’s contact with children went unsupervised during the years John Doe says he was being abused.³

No Reports to Police or DCFS

A Chicago Sun-Times investigation found no sign that anyone at Chapelstreet reported Vanthournout’s alleged conduct to law enforcement or child welfare officials. Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser said: “There were no allegations made by anyone that works at Chapelstreet Church, such as Brian Coffey, about Don Vanthournout” to the sheriff’s office or the state’s attorney’s office.³

The Geneva Police Department confirmed it has no reports or investigations tied to the allegations going back to 2008. The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services said it has no report on Vanthournout based on the information provided. Under Illinois law, clergy are required to report suspected sexual or physical violence against minors, and failure to do so can be charged as a crime. Neither Coffey nor other church officials would confirm to reporters whether they had made any such report.³

How Chapelstreet Has Responded

The church’s executive council sent congregants a letter saying Chapelstreet had been “inappropriately included in this legal action” and calling the claims of church involvement “tenuous.” On November 2, 2025, Executive Pastor of Campus Life Sterling Moore read the letter aloud during a service, telling members: “It’s natural to want to understand what is true and what’s not and what’s next… And I know this will not be enough for some of you, but we don’t have all of those answers right now.” A video of the remarks was posted to the church’s YouTube channel and later removed.⁷

In a statement to the Christian Post, the church said it “takes this matter seriously, and remains committed to truth, transparency, and the safety of all individuals in its care,” and maintained that Vanthournout, “while a member of the congregation, was not acting on behalf of or under the authority of Chapelstreet Church.” Coffey separately said Vanthournout “was never a staff member at Chapelstreet.”⁶ The church said it is working with “outside experts” to evaluate the facts and set up a dedicated email address for congregants to share information or concerns.⁷

Are There Criminal Charges?

No. The case is civil. As of the most recent reporting, Vanthournout has not been charged with any criminal offense in Kane County.¹ He is no longer listed on Chapelstreet’s website as a staff member or youth leader, though it is unclear whether he remains affiliated with the church in any capacity.⁸

Where the Case Stands

The lawsuit is in its early stages. A case management conference was scheduled for January 7, 2026. Court records did not list attorneys for any of the defendants as of November 2025, and no rulings, settlements, or motions beyond the initial filing had been reported.⁷

1
Daily Herald. Lawsuit Claims Chapelstreet Church Youth Leader Sexually Abused Boy
2
MinistryWatch. Chicago-Area Megachurch Sued in Sexual Abuse Case
3
Chicago Sun-Times. Chapelstreet Church Geneva Brian Coffey Lawsuit Child Sexual Abuse
4
BishopAccountability.org. Suburban Megachurch Sued Over Alleged Sexual Abuse by Youth Leader
5
Chicago Sun-Times. Chapelstreet Church Geneva Evangelical Sexual Abuse
6
Christian Post. Megachurch Pastor Brian Coffey Accused of Negligence
7
Shaw Local News Network. Geneva’s Chapelstreet Responds to Sex Abuse Lawsuit
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Shaw Local News Network. Lawsuit Claims Chapelstreet Church Youth Leader Sexually Abused Boy