Boy Scout sexual abuse lawsuits.

Retired LTC USAR · Sep 9, 2020

Keep hearing ads on tv for those who were sexually abused while they were in the boy scouts that they "may be entitled to compensation".

I was in the boy scouts in the late 60's and early 70's. All the adults that were in scouting then are long dead.

So if a person was to submit a claim of abuse from the 60's, 70's, or even the 80's, how would they be able to verify what you say happened actually happened when the parties involved are no longer around?

Seems to me a that this "settlement" is wide-open for all kinds of fraud, waste and abuse.

Rpg · Sep 9, 2020

I believe that the call for claims arises in the context of the Boy Scouts bankruptcy proceedings.

Folks who may have a claim against the scouts have to make the claim in the bankruptcy proceedings and get in line with the other creditors. There is always a deadline for submitting claims in a bankruptcy.

The bankruptcy court will establish a process to evaluate claims and divvy up the Scouts assets among the creditors.

Proving the claim, and it’s value, is the obligation of the creditor.

This isn’t an adversarial proceeding where you’re suing the Scouts and the Scouts are saying that they’re innocent. The Scouts are saying that they screwed up and that they don’t have the assets to pay everyone. That’s why they’re in bankruptcy.

Part of the bankruptcy process is to notify potential creditors of the bankruptcy and notify those creditors that they have to make their claims by a certain deadline or forever lose the chance to make the claim.

The adds you’re seeing are part of the bankruptcy process.

Rule3 · Sep 9, 2020

If you do a "search" most of the hits will be from Law firms, but here is the Wiki result.
As with most class action, the actual people harmed probably will not get much. The Law firms will.

Kinda like the MeToo movement, or Church cases how are those cases "proved"?

Heck there is a I Phone (Apple) class action. Out of the $300,000 or more allocated, the end users MAY get $25!

As with rape cases how many "boys" will want to come forth and go through that whole thing?

Boy Scouts of America sex abuse cases - Wikipedia

Rpg · Sep 9, 2020

This isn’t a class action lawsuit. This is a bankruptcy.

Don’t confuse folks by trying to mix them: like apples and oranges.

Dougaz · Sep 9, 2020

This is nothing more than a bunch of Law firms that smell a profit, while not giving a damn about anyone that might have been injured or harmed.

dockmurgw · Sep 9, 2020

Rpg said:
This isn’t a class action lawsuit. This is a bankruptcy.

Don’t confuse folks by trying to mix them: like apples and oranges.

Honest question...aren't you splitting hairs? As part of the bankruptcy, a fund will be set aside to pay these claims. And leave it to the sleazy TV law firms to mobilize en mass to get people to sign up. There is a segment of society with political motives that has had its cross hairs on BSA for years, and this issue is a convenient means to an end. I don't condone what a few bad apples did, but the destruction of BSA sure does look similar to the protest mobs after every law enforcement organization in the country due to their few bad apples. Come to think of it, the same segment of society is behind both actions. Check out this link for a pretty good explanation of the process, and what the lawyers are offering victims...including those that are only victims in their own mind.

Boy Scouts Abuse Lawsuits | November Deadline | ClassAction.org

Onomea · Sep 9, 2020

For too long sexual abuse, and sexual abuse of children in particular, has been covered up as the victims and their families were too ashamed, given how society perceived them, to reveal the abuse and seek justice. Predators took advantage of this.

While some shady characters will try to take advantage of the BSA situation to make money, as is true of most tragedies, unfortunately, on the whole I think it is a good thing that these ugly crimes are being brought out into the open, and that justice is being sought whether from BSA, Michigan State, USAA sports federations, prestigious prep schools, or the Catholic Church, to name a few.

The crime of sexual abuse of children should be severely punished, in individuals and the organizations which are responsible for certifying their employment or membership.

moosedog · Sep 9, 2020

Its a witch hunt by the left to destroy the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts just as they are doing to the Catholic Church. Yes, there are pedophiles in every youth organization but if they were really going after the most pedophiles they would be targeting academia. Funny how they leave that one alone.

grover99 · Sep 9, 2020

I was in scouting from early 50s to about 1961. Fine people all. May have been some problems but for the most part scout leaders were really wonderful people.

Rpg · Sep 9, 2020

moosedog said:
Its a witch hunt by the left to destroy the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts just as they are doing to the Catholic Church. Yes, there are pedophiles in every youth organization but if they were really going after the most pedophiles they would be targeting academia. Funny how they leave that one alone.

Academia hasn’t gotten off the hook: don’t overlook the legal actions taken against academia in the sex abuse of college athletes. Some docs are in prison for longer than they’ll live. Some universities paying a ton of money. A sitting congressman likely in trouble for not following up on complaints when he was a coach. Denny Hastert isn’t in quite retirement.

Pedofiles are increasingly being identified and pursued wherever they’ve operated.

Justice can be slow, it’s true.

PatriotX · Sep 9, 2020

moosedog said:
Its a witch hunt by the left to destroy the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts just as they are doing to the Catholic Church. Yes, there are pedophiles in every youth organization but if they were really going after the most pedophiles they would be targeting academia. Funny how they leave that one alone.

The church has been shown to have systematically covered up abuse, as had the BSA -[to a lesser extent, but how much less cover-up is ok with child molestation?]- for years.

Burn. Them. All. Take a lesson from Israel, never forget.

Rule3 · Sep 9, 2020

Rpg said:
This isn’t a class action lawsuit. This is a bankruptcy.

Don’t confuse folks by trying to mix them: like apples and oranges.

I am not a lawyer. Call it what you want, it is a "Suit" Every link I found from Law Firms starts out "class action"

And why are they in bankruptcy"???

"After spending more than $150 million in legal fees and settlements between 2017 and 2019, the Boy Scouts of America were forced to declare Chapter 11 bankruptcy in order to have enough cash to handle the last wave of lawsuits. A financial breakdown of the organization revealed that over $1 billion worth of assets could be used to pay compensation for damages in future cases. In court filings, the Boy Scouts claims it faces 275 abuse lawsuits in state and federal courts around the country, plus another 1400 potential claims, and that it has paid $150 million in settlements and legal costs from 2017 to 2019. Sexual abuse of children is not just a crime but also a serious civil matter. That is why these cases must be handled with the attention it deserves and is why we at Oppenheim Law want to offer our services to represent you if you were sexually abused when you were a boy scout. Please reach out as soon as possible if you are seeking justice and your entitlement to damages caused by the Boy Scouts of America over your lifetime. Time is of the essence. The deadline to act is approaching rapidly."

Boy Scout Abuse Settlement Amounts - Class Actions Legal Blogs Posted by Roy D. Oppenheim | Lawyers.com

Boy Scouts of America Sex Abuse Class Action Lawsuit | Class Action

But no worries, girls can now be in the Boy Scouts or Scouts, whatever then call them now!

vt_shooter · Sep 9, 2020

I don't like seeing people that have no culpability in some nefarious deed being punished. Someone gets a big settlement from a city, who pays - the taxpayers pay - the ones with no culpability. BOA will be history, and most of the people who will lose out had no culpability. I'm not sure what better solutions might exist ... people smarter than me haven't figured it. out.

sigp220.45 · Sep 9, 2020

I am always suspicious of any adult male who puts himself in a position to have access to young boys. Scout leaders, youth ministers, athletic coaches, camp counselors, and some others I can’t think of right now.

My own kid’s scouting experiences came to an end with my oldest in small town Montana. His scout leader was a woman, which lulled me into complacency. I mentioned this to a friend in the SO, who played me a tape of an informant setting up a meth deal with the scout leader’s ex-husband, recently released from the pen, living in a consensual arrangement with the scout leader and her current boyfriend, in the house where the scout pack met every week. They called him “the Dentist” because for some reason he pulled out every tooth in his head with a pair of pliers. Adios, BSA. I’ll teach him how to start a fire myself.

The map below is areas where the BSA themselves removed or suspended scout leaders following allegations of sexual abuse of scouts.

I’m glad they are going under.

Marshwheeling · Sep 9, 2020

This conversation is probably best left to Facebook, a freer venue for lawyer bashing, and for those who protest too loudly that they had a wonderful experience, and never heard a whisper of abuse.

The organization or its principals have done something blameworthy, or else they would not be facing the prospect of financial ruin.

hittman77 · Sep 9, 2020

The ads run by the ambulance chasers here even say things like ....

"Even if there were not witnesses"
"Even if you never shared your story"

Yeah, that really reeks of confidence in the "system".

LCC · Sep 9, 2020

Onomea said:
For too long sexual abuse, and sexual abuse of children in particular, has been covered up as the victims and their families were too ashamed, given how society perceived them, to reveal the abuse and seek justice. Predators took advantage of this.

The crime of sexual abuse of children should be severely punished, in individuals and the organizations which are responsible for certifying their employment or membership.

There is not a lower form of scum than a child molester/abuser, especially when preying from the trusted cover of a uniform of any kind.

Golphin · Sep 9, 2020

LCC said:
There is not a lower form of scum than a child molester/abuser, especially when preying from the trusted cover of a uniform of any kind.

I agree and next in line are the scum bag ambulance chaser lawyers that entice people to lie for free money. I am sure it happened some but never saw it in my day and I am betting not near as often as is being presented.

Onomea · Sep 9, 2020

sigp220.45 said:
...The map below is areas where the BSA themselves removed or suspended scout leaders following allegations of sexual abuse of scouts...

lrrifleman · Sep 9, 2020

Sorry, but I will probably earn a vacation because of this comment.

Personally, I really don't think this is an appropriate topic of discussion for this forum. In many respects, the participants here are emotionally "shooting from the hip". In one corner, it sounds like a convention of enablers, questioning the sincerity of the claimants, and thereby shielding the predators. In the opposing corner, it sounds like a collective herd encouraging the demise of an organization that had noble objectives.

What is missing is acknowledgement of the emotional scars suffered by those children that were victims of the predators, who had gained the confidence of the children and their parents by virtue of their position within the organization. Yes, there may be some claimants that weren't molested, but just because someone back then that was molested didn't step forward and advertise that they were molested, should they have their credibility questioned?

In all honesty, if you were an impressionable pre-teen or early teen in the '50, '60s, or '70s and had been molested, how would you have reacted? Personally, I don't want to hear a response, because this is an extremely sensitive, personal experience that shouldn't be tossed out for public consumption or debate. Perhaps this is one of those times when you put yourself in the shoes of one of the victims, and exercise some empathy and compassion.

Boy Scout sexual abuse lawsuits.

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