Boy Scouts of America filed 90 harassment and child abuse lawsuits

For decades, Gill Gale considered his history of violence within the Boy Scouts to be unique. It turned out that he was one of hundreds of thousands of victims. Nearly 90 child abuse and harassment claims have recently been filed against the Boy Scouts of America. This is the largest case in history associated with one organization, says USA Today.

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Gale said he was raped by two scout leaders in the 1970s. The incidents are in no way related: the men lived in different cities of Alabama and did not know each other.

Gail was in sixth grade when the first scoutmaster molested him on a hike. He repeated this abuse for several months. After Gale's family moved (he was in 8th grade), he said that he woke up one day at the house of another scoutmaster who "brutally raped" him.

Years later, after therapy helped him deal with depression, substance abuse, suicidal thoughts and attempts, Gale, now 58, learned his story was not the only one.

On Monday, Nov. 16, Gale's lawsuit became one of nearly 90 filed in the federal Boy Scouts bankruptcy case, the largest child sex abuse case in history involving a single national organization.

“There’s nothing unique about me,” he said. “It should have a face, not some abstract idea.”

Those who do not meet the November 16 deadline are prohibited from filing a claim against the national organization in the future. As a result, filling out forms has accelerated in recent weeks, and especially over the weekend. Lawyers for the victims of the abuse on Friday said there were about 63 applications filed, and then expected the total to rise to more than 000 by the deadline.

The total number of claims far exceeds what was expected when the Boy Scouts of America first filed for bankruptcy in February. At the time, the organization said it faced 275 lawsuits in the courts, plus another 1400 potential lawsuits.

In 2010, a $19,9 million settlement resulted in the organization's largest loss ever. As a result of this case, the Boy Scouts were forced to release more than 20 confidential documents. These records, which became known as the "corruption files," showed that the organization tracked suspected and known rapists but did not report them to the police or notify the public.

“Even I, who was involved in this case from the beginning, did not expect it to come to this,” said Paul Mons, who tried the landmark 2010 case and represents about 400 clients as defense attorney. “Not up to such numbers.”

Most of the claims, more than 55, came from the Coalition of Abused Scouts for Justice, a group of 000 law firms that bankruptcy judge Laurie Selber Silverstein authorized last month to join mediation negotiations. The size of the coalition gives it significant influence over any potential settlement.

The Boy Scouts said in a statement: “We are shocked by the number of lives affected by past abuse in the Scouts and touched by the bravery of those who have come forward to speak out. The reaction of those who went through it was painful. We are very sorry".

Lawyers representing potential victims say the total number of boys harmed in the Scouts over the organization's 100-year history is likely an undercount. The organization now has fewer than 2 million members, but the Scouts said there were more than 1970 million members at its peak in the 4s. Typically, sexual abuse often goes unreported, and clients tell attorneys that they know of others who have been abused but are reluctant to come forward themselves.

On the subject: In the US, priests raped hundreds of children: no one believed the victims for years.

Mons said his clients range from teenagers to men over 80. According to him, the vast majority of their allegations have never been reported before, and only about a quarter of them have been abused by people in the "corruption files."

Ken Rottweiler, whose group Abused In Scouting represents 17 clients, pointed to research by Marcy Hamilton, CEO of CHILD USA, a nonprofit think tank working to prevent child abuse. Hamilton is investigating cases of abuse among the Boy Scout ranks based on data provided by Abused in Scouting.

“Any time you have an organization whose purpose is to take boys into the woods, put them to sleep in tents, away from their parents, where there is an adult who is responsible for these boys in such an isolated environment, that is a recipe for pedophilia,” Rothweiler said. . — Many other groups do not have such a model. This is truly a recipe for disaster."

What's next?

The case is moving along two parallel paths. In one, claims will be reviewed by outside consultants “to maintain the integrity of the process,” the Boy Scouts said. On the other hand, the parties are working on a settlement. After filing for bankruptcy, the Boy Scouts proposed creating a fund to compensate victims. Under the bankruptcy reorganization plan, the Scouts must find a way to pay its creditors, including abuse survivors, and stay in business.

The amount is likely to be a contentious part of upcoming mediation talks. The organization will have to contribute financial and other assets, which include real estate and works of art. In its bankruptcy filing, the Boy Scouts valued its assets at approximately $1 billion. In its 2018 tax return, the National Council reported $240 million in land assets. But regional councils own most of the Boy Scouts' property and $101 million in local council property in New York City alone. Lawyers are expected to demand that the assets of chartering organizations, such as churches, be included.

The Boy Scouts' insurers will also pay part of any proposed settlement. In the past, they have refused to pay claims because they say the Scouts have not taken effective preventive measures to stop the abuse.

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What does this mean for the future of the Boy Scouts?

The Boy Scouts filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which would allow the organization to pay off its debts and reorganize. Several other organizations have followed the same legal path as they face mounting abuse lawsuits, including the gymnastics industry and Catholic Church dioceses.

In some situations, bankruptcy cases can drag on for years. But victims' lawyers said they believe the Scouts could run out of money if they don't resolve the case in the coming months.

Rottweiler said his clients are about evenly split on whether they want the Boy Scouts of America to continue operating as an organization or not.

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