Boy Scouts Of America Files Bankruptcy In Wake Of Abuse Lawsuits
FILE PHOTO: The statue of a scout stands in the entrance to the Boy Scouts of America headquarters in Irving, Texas, February 5, 2013. REUTERS/Tim Sharp/File Photo
Poetrooper sends us the sad saga of years of sexual abuse involving the Boy Scouts coming to light. As far as I’m concerned the organization started circling the drain when it went “woke,” a term I find offensive and ignorant, by allowing females (isn’t there a Girl Scouts?) and allowing openly homosexual Scout Masters. Being gay does not make one a pedophile, of course, but the optics are bad and have resulted in declining membership as a result of these self-inflicted wounds.
And now the organization is filing for Chapter 11 because of the surge of sexual abuse lawsuits.
From the article:
By Tom Hals
WILMINGTON, Del. (Reuters) – The Boy Scouts of America said on Tuesday it had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy amid a flood of lawsuits over allegations of child sexual abuse stretching back decades.
The bankruptcy is not expected to affect the organization’s programs, which promote self-reliance through outdoor activities such as hiking and camping. The group was already struggling with declining membership and controversy over admitting gay and female members.
The Boy Scouts, based in Irving, Texas, has said that it sincerely apologizes to anyone harmed, that it believes the accusers and that it encourages victims to come forward.
Founded in 1910, the organization has been overwhelmed by hundreds of claims after several states, including New York, removed legal hurdles that had barred people from suing over old allegations of child sex abuse.
The changes to the law coincided with the #MeToo movement and a shift in public opinion that has been more supportive of accusers. The result has been a wave of lawsuits against church leaders, doctors and schools, as well as scouting.
The Boy Scouts has said in a statement that “we can live up to our social and moral responsibility to fairly compensate victims” while “also ensuring that we carry out our mission to serve youth, families and local communities through our programs.”
Paul Mones, who represents hundreds of men who claim they were abused as scouts, told Reuters: “The bankruptcy is being filed as a result of decades of concealing abuse by the Boy Scouts and their adult leaders.”
The bankruptcy, filed in Delaware, will allow the Boy Scouts to bring all of the lawsuits into one court and try to negotiate a settlement, rather than using the organization’s funds to fight each case in court, which might leave some victims with nothing.
So another American institution is tainted with sexual abuse and cover up. Lawsuits are a start, but where are the criminal charges against both those committing the crimes, and those covering them up?
Good to hear from you, Poe. Just wish the news was happier. Read the rest here: OANN.com
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Full article says they have somehow determined 12,000 cases of abuse sine 1944. Guess I must be a heartless bastard, that’s less than 160 problems in a membership averaging a million to million and and a half kids per year. Seems like we demand perfection from flawed humans nowadays…
Thinking a bit more on this:
1) 1-1.5 million Scouts annually is in reality low, hence the odds against problems are higher
2) Based on just the low figures, it makes the odds about 1 in 10,000 against any kid being molested, and I would suspect a molester would probably target more than one so those 160 annually probably came from relatively rare bad clusters?
3) So the odds against a kid getting molested may be 20-40,000 to one. What are the percentages in any other groups, like church groups, FFA, whatever? Are Scouts at any higher risk than any other groups?
The Catholic Church should bail them out…
It also didn’t help them when the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints pulled out of the BSA.
Which was directly related to the gay issue.
They (the LDS) don’t admit that directly, but a lot of folks have bailed from the BSA since they abandoned “Morally Straight” and “Duty to God”… and lot of the other points of the Scout Law.
I agree GB. My son tried it for a while, but it wasn’t his thing. Back in the day, I went through many years of it, but it was far different back then…
I also learned that each unit had its own “personality” – mostly influenced by the Cubmaster/Scoutmaster/Advisor’s personality.
#1 son was in a small Troop, barely was able to get enough folks to do Summer Camp.
#2 son was in a large, well-organized Troop with TONS of adult help – they had 2-3 different high-adventure trips per summer – with different age groups doing different things.
Night & day, but each met needs of the boys.
That’s awesome. For my boy, it was just the modern reality, it was a large, motivated troop that cranked out Eagle Scouts, but he was used to going hunting, hanging with the adults, etc, and not being allowed to do that didn’t work for him, in addition, he was very small, and they had a couple older / larger scouts that tended to bully kids like him (at least subtly), and he was very uncomfortable sharing a tent with guys like that, so that trip was pretty much the end for him.
Yeah! Troop 763 at Ft. Bragg (1964~68) was mostly a Special Forces troop.
We had a blast!
Wonder what happened to it … I can’t find 763 doing a google search.
A conservative faith-based alternative to the woke BSA train wreck is Trail Life USA.
Their website is: traillifeusa.com
My grandsons are in that. It is great.
My perspective as a 25-year veteran Scouter (adult Scout leader) who has been Den Leader, Cub Master, Assistant Scoutmaster, Explorer Post Advisor and Venturing Crew Advisor (the last two having been coed units), District Health & Safety Chairman, and District Venturing Training Chairman. I also served as staff on a number of annual “University of Scouting” programs. There are a number of factors at play here. Remember that the individual units (Pack, Troop, Varsity Team, Post, and Crew) are ‘owned’ by the Chartering Organization – the civic club (Kiwanis, Elks, etc.) or church that obtains, annually, a “Charter” to utilized the BSA program(s) in their organization. These are Chartered through a local Council (subdivided into Districts), that is itself chartered through BSA-National. Every employee and every volunteer has to pass a background check. That started sometime when I was an adult leader – but references were always checked. I have heard rumors that in out Council sometimes these checks were not conducted – and that could be an issue. Folks could be reported to a Chartering Organization for suspected abuse. They then have to report to the District and Council leadership. The adult in question is then (usually) denied membership status in the local unit or Council. If there was no prosecution for child abuse, the individual may be allowed to serve in another area, or even the same unit if the Head of the Chartering Organization decided to allow them back. This provided some level of protection of the individual from unfounded accusations. An individual might be banned from Scouting in that Council, but allowed to volunteer in another Council. I knew of one case where an adult male had been banned in another Council and moved to our Council, our District. He would routinely violate the rules about having children other than his own sleep in his tent. No one ever accused him of touching or molesting those boys in any way, but he had been warned, then banned by the one Council, then came to our Council, our District, and continued his behavior. He received a ban… Read more »
Thanks for your perspective, Gray, and thanks more for your long service in the Scouts — it is (or was, perhaps) a great program, and your work surely made a huge positive impact in the lives of many kids.
And, while I don’t necessarily agree, I can even understand you feeling it went downhill when gays were allowed in. That’s fine. But, in terms of this problem -the bankruptcy- it’s clear this was an issue long before that policy went into place, since cases go back to 1944. I don’t even think you’re arguing that point, but I think it’s possible to make a case that letting gays be ‘out’ and in the Scouts was arguably better than having them fully in the closet, as it gave parents choice about whether to go to that troop, or to talk to their kids if they had concerns.
In my opinion, David has a point in that the number of ‘bad’ apples is so small compared to the good, and asking for perfection in an imperfect world is a recipe for disappointment. I don’t have any solutions here, but I lay a lot of issue at our litigious society and the massive ‘pain and suffering’ payouts that are common. Do victims of sexual assault deserve the right to sue their attackers? Absolutely. I know a person it happened to who didn’t sure, but they should have that right. But to what extent? How much is the pain and suffering worth? Can it be worth more than the good that a program like BSA has done?
Those questions aren’t liberal or conservative, they’re moral and legal, and opinions fall on all sides. This needn’t be an ‘us vs them’ thing.
Just my two cents, and thanks again for all the time you put in with the Scouts, and now Trail Life.
Thanks, LC. I think working with the youth blessed me more than them – but the ones I’m still in touch with are great adult friends.
I ought to be clear – I saw signs of problems long before they admitted homosexuals. But for many of us, especially of strong religious convictions, claiming to do one’s Duty to God and keep ourselves Morally Straight, while accepting homosexuals as leaders and examples to our youth, is too great a dichotomy to overcome. I do not think this situation is directly because of the inclusion of homosexuals as adult members.
As David did point out – the percentages are really small. Thankfully.
What I was trying to point out was that BSA-National was in a Catch-22 situation. They could not publicize those merely accused without proof or convictions, and it is not their job to follow up on every accusation to see if the accused is, somewhere down the line, convicted.
I think this is a case of folks attempting to extort BSA when, in most cases, they could not have done differently legally.
Theres a lot of hard truth in what you say there, LC.
Personally, within my scout troop, we had two guys who the entire troop knew were gay. No one cared. Our troop was multi denominational, and we didn’t judge them, so long as they abided by the same rules we did. And they did. There were no problems with them. This was before the BSA officially allowed gays in, while I was in the troop. Personally, I fail to see the issue with letting gay people join the organization. Then again, I’m not a subscriber to organized religion, or any faith in particular. My beliefs are my own.
I wholly agree the issue here really lies with how litigious America is these days. Lawyers can demand, and get, absolutely absurd payouts for anything, and God help them these days if they decide to rule against the accuser. My family personally experienced that mess years ago, when my father and another man were killed in a head-on car accident. My dad’s fault. Other family swore they weren’t going to sue, up and down, until a lawyer got involved and pointed out they could make an arm and a leg off the state. Suddenly there was a lawsuit that named our family, though the state covered it, as Dad was on the job that day.
The fact we let people sue for anything, and everything, and for absurd sums of money, has led to a society that sees people going around d trying to find reasons to sue, to make a buck. That’s as terrifying to me as a corrupt government and all powerful corporations are.
Boys who thought they were homosexual have never, to my knowledge, been barred from joining.
It was always homosexual adults who were barred, as they were not seen as examples of the Scout Oath and Law. That changed with the leadership of BSA-National.
“How much is the pain and suffering worth? Can it be worth more than the good that a program like BSA has done?”
Since it is well-documented in medical literature that active pedophiles were frequently childhood victims themselves, the question begging is just what dollar amount is sufficient to compensate you for someone having possibly turned you into a creature that society considers a monster, a condition that will last your lifetime, always carrying with it the potential to destroy you?
What’s a fair dollar amount for a jury to place on those kinds of intentionally inflicted emotional distress?
Like you, I have no answers. While I am decidedly opposed to pedophiles being allowed to serve in any youth-oriented organizations, I cannot help but feel that many of those people are abusers only because they were abused themselves as helpless children. Yet we treat an active pedophile much as we treat a vicious dog, as something to be removed from society, even when we know it was horribly beaten as a puppy.
As an old man in the waning days of a long life, one thing I’ve learned for certain is that within the myriad problems that comprise the human condition, there are few, if any, real answers.
I have wondered for a few years how long it would take for this to kick in. Wonder, too, how much of these “Me Too” was just coattail riders looking for a pay off. Damn shame a fine organization like the Scouts got ruined by the whole PC/woke bull sh^t.
Get woke, go broke.
These commies won’t be happy until the only institutions left are those of State. What organization will they ruin next?
….
It wasn’t ever perfect but you can’t make a house fire ‘better’ by adding gasoline.
“These commies won’t be happy until the only institutions left are those of State.”
You mean like the Young Pioneers in the days of the USSR?
Pelosi Youth, uniform will be tan shirt, red armband and a dagger.
When the Allies make their final push into San Fran the Pelosi Youth will be its final line of protection.
Da, comrade, is whole plan… will be run by Diversity & Inclusion Party Outreach, promising candidate will get Komsomol membership.
Thanks GB and 5/77. My two sons were introduced to the Boy Scouts on my tour in Maine. Too late I suppose, as they soon after discovered that snow skis and girls were more interesting. Can’t blame them for any of that.
Knew this would generate discussion, just sorry it had to.
Sad.
Those Maine girls will turn your head.
Now, if we’d had girls and the Safe Sex merit badge in scouting back then… I shudder to think.
And some will turn your stomach…(ducks and runs)
But to be fair (to be faaaiiiihhh) that’s no different than anywhere else.
Hey, I married a NH girl… keep hoping I will make parole.
Look up the lyrics to “The Winner” by Bobby Bare. We both love the Harry Clay stanza…
I hadn’t heard that tune in ages – but I know that stanza!
Another American Icon destroyed by liberalism and political correctness, is there anything those two touch that doesn’t turn to shit?
Nope, ‘fraid not.
Why did Trump pardon that corrupt Democrat governor of Illinois, Dagobah or something.
This is bad. He is pardoning a Democrat evil corrupt politician.
Very bad move.
Well, the guy’s sentence was rather steep for someone who never physically or financially harmed anyone. Plus, he was the target of a rabid federal prosecutor totally lacking in scruples.
Slow Joe, Trump’s pardons and commutations have exactly nothing to do with the post under discussion. I’m more than certain they will come up on their own post, and soon. Please stay in visual range of the post at hand, and don’t force me to take action and delete your comment(s).
Troll Slayer sends.
I was molested as a Boy Scout. I’m not sympathetic to the BSA.
No reason you should be.
Well, when the scouts come out of BK, they can rebrand as the non-cisgender scouts. I am sure that will encompass all 57 genders. What a winning formula.
I was a BSA member for 10+ years in the 1960s and 70s in the Adirondack Council in northern NY State. I earned the rank of Eagle Scout with the class of 1974. I consider it the greatest achievement in my life and my original Eagle Scout award is the only medal I display in my home. Back then only 1% of all scouts earned the Eagle rank. Troops didn’t specialize in cranking out new Eagles before the scout reached his 18th birthday and needed another bullet point for his resume or college essay.
BSA won a Supreme Court case affirming its legal right as a private organization to discriminate against homosexual membership. Then public school districts in retaliation refused to allow troops use of their facilities. As we know, BSA eventually caved to LGBTQ demands and ultimately admitted girls in an effort to staunch massive membership declines.
BSA, now Scouting USA, is a reflection of American society which has abandoned its Christian heritage. America is no longer the “Christian Sparta” envisioned by John Q. Adams. Scouting will surely die without a religious foundation.
PRO DEO ET PATRIA
The mini Doc tried Scouts, the Tiger Cub program was great all the parents contributed to the experience and the kids had a blast. Cub Scouts was a disaster, den mother was a scrunt who had boys sitting doing crafts at every meeting. Mini Doc says Cub Scouts sucks, so Mrs. Doc and I put him in Young Marines. Mini Doc liked it, they got a good weekly dose of exercise, discipline, God/Country/Community and parents were not allowed to baby them. The kids toted their own gear to and from the parents’ car. Mini Doc did say his CO and XO yelled a lot, until I explained that the CO and XO were both real Marine NCOs (Sergeant and Corporal respectively) and they tend to do that if you do something that makes them unhappy.
Yeah, the Den Mothers who thought/think the boys just want to do crafts need brought in line by the Cubmaster and Chartered Org. I was able to forestall that in our Pack somewhat.
I did not have fun in Cub Scouts as a boy. When they tried to sell me on Boy Scouts as “you’ll have just as much fun as you did in Cub Scouts” I was outta there. Wish they’d tried another line.
Didn’t get in again until #1 son joined a Troop a friend of mine was Scoutmaster of. I learned how to be a good Scouter from an old, retired Army Sargent (Korea vet) who was the maintenance sargent for one of the prisons. #1 son made Eagle, #2 son got fed up with the Eagle-factory Troop, but in Venturing got the Venturing Silver (highest in Venturing) and almost earned the Ranger Award.(expert outdoorsman). Daughter didn’t get a chance in Venturing, the Explorers didn’t have anything worth pursuing.
The BSA was going to be in trouble even without getting “woke” and without the sexual abuse claims. The reasons are never as simple as one or two things, and that’s true with sports, church, and fraternal organizations.
Participation in youth organizations of all manner are down across the United States. American Football and Youth Soccer are two other examples of declining participation rates across the nation.
We noticed this decline as far back as 2008 across the board in the US. From previous high numbers in 2008 there were only about 45% of all kids engaged in any kind of team sports activity. A few years later that number would be 38% of all kids…meaning close to 60% of our youth aren’t involved in those activities.
Concern over sexual abuse is hardly the issue for most families, it’s cost pure and simple. I realize the Scouts aren’t a super expensive organization but people seem to have less and less time for those sort of fraternal organizations these days and kids seem less interested unless they are pushed.
I watched an organization that had almost 5,000 participants at one time wither away and dissolve over a 30 year period of time. To be replaced by an organization with half as many kids all of them paying far more money for far less games. A sad commentary on how children have become a commodity to be brokered as a revenue stream instead of encouraged to become strong, athletic, and smart.
“Concern over sexual abuse is hardly the issue for most families…”
Perhaps not, VOV, but it is certainly a convenient means for parents to salve a guilty conscience when cost IS the actual issue. And to be honest, it’s a legitimate concern in contemporary society where those adults drawn to children for less than altruistic reasons frequently DO seek out positions in youth-oriented organizations that provide them with proximity to potential victims.
Since sexual abuse during childhood can have lifelong effects, including the creation of new generations of abusers, I believe adults seeking to work with children need to be scrutinized as thoroughly as if they were applying for a Top Secret clearance. Unfortunately, that is completely cost-prohibitive.
What parents pay for soccer, or baseball/softball, or martial arts is far greater than what being in a Scout unit costs – including uniforms (a different one each year in sports, the same one for years in Scouting).
The Crew would go on a high-adventure trip each summer (spent my summer vacations taking other folks teenagers camping). Our most expensive trip would be Boundary Waters into Quetico Provincial Park, because we had to use an outfitter. That came in around $525/person for 8 days on the water, and the travel there, then up into Canada to visit Old Fort William, then back to Texas.
Scouts going to summer camp will drop about $250/300 if my memory serves.
It ain’t the money.
From the Onion site:
“Boy Scouts Leadership Confident Organization Can Overcome Stigma Of Bankruptcy”