At least 92,000 claimants have stepped forward and filed sexual abuse claims against Boy Scouts of America. The non-political organization has filed for bankruptcy protection in February as hundreds from all parts of the country signed up for sexual abuse lawsuit. The federal bankruptcy proceedings will generate a compensation fund to pay out settlements for the surviving abuse victims.
CNN: Hundreds of sexual abuse lawsuits were filed across the country — some of which alleged repeated fondling, exposure to pornography and forced anal or oral sex
CNN disclosed that according to Van Arsdale, one of the lead attorneys representing the surviving victims, “sexual abuse was a rite of passage in troops across the country, similar to other tasks where children had to … perform certain duties to earn their coveted merit badges.”
The cases against the Boy Scouts are no normal court proceeding. The organization filed for bankruptcy in February as hundreds of sexual abuse lawsuits were filed across the country — some of which alleged repeated fondling, exposure to pornography and forced anal or oral sex.
BSA national chairman Jim Turley wrote that the bankruptcy filing was aimed at ensuring the organization “is able to equitably compensate all the victims of abuse.”
NBC News: Most of the pending sex abuse claims date to the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s
According to NBC News, the bankruptcy has been painful for the 110-year-old Boy Scouts, which has been a pillar of American civic life for generations. Its finances were already strained by sex abuse settlements and declining membership — now below 2 million from a peak of over 4 million in the 1970s.
Most of the pending sex abuse claims date to the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s, before the Boy Scouts adopted criminal background checks, abuse prevention training for all staff and volunteers, and a rule that two or more adult leaders must be present during activities.
The Boy Scouts said it “intentionally developed an open, accessible process to reach survivors and help them take an essential step toward receiving compensation.”
