September 17, 2012 – According to a damning new article published in the Los Angeles Times, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) systematically failed to report hundreds of child abuse allegations over a period of more than 20 years. Confidential documents obtained by the Times reveal that parents and caregivers were often never informed of the abuse their children had endured, and that offenders were allowed to resign under bogus circumstances to hide their crimes. The BSA has fought vigorously to keep this information hidden from the public, but it has nonetheless emerged as part of an ongoing lawsuit against the disgraced organization.
Boy Scouts Sexual Abuse Update 9/26/12: This week, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) announced that it will review its secret files to ensure that all acts of sexual abuse and molestation committed within its ranks over the past 47 years have been reported to the proper authorities. The move marks the first time in the organization’s hundred year history that it has conducted a thorough analysis of its so-called ‘perversion files’, a blacklist used for keeping sexual predators out of the Boy Scouts. Click here to learn more.
Free Boy Scout Sexual Abuse Lawsuit Evaluation: If you or a loved one has been abused, molested or otherwise victimized by a member of the Boy Scouts of America, you should contact our law firm immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a suit against the Boy Scouts and we can help.
What’s the problem?
For nearly a century, the BSA has kept a secret blacklist as a means of avoiding sexual abuse within its organizational structure. These so-called ‘perversion files’ are reportedly used to prevent hundreds of former volunteers who’ve been kicked out for alleged indiscretions from reentering the ranks. Unfortunately, despite their noble purpose, the perversion files have failed to expose scores of deviant scoutmasters who managed to slip back into the Boy Scouts and molest young members.
In a story that eerily echoes how Penn State University kept allegations of sexual abuse against former football coach Jerry Sandusky under wraps, the BSA perversion files contain a report about a Michigan Boy Scout camp director who reported allegations of abuse years after the alleged crimes took place, telling the police he didn’t come forward sooner because his superiors didn’t want to ruin the reputation of the organization or of the offender.
And when five Pennsylvania BSA members accused their Scout Master of molesting them, the man was simply allowed to resign due to ‘work commitments.’ Instead of being taken into custody for the abuse, the former Scout Master received a message of ‘good luck in your new position‘ from the troop.
Out of a sampling of some 500 allegations of Boy Scout sexual abuse, 80% revealed that police were not informed about what was happening.
The growing controversy has damaged the once wholesome image of the century-old volunteer organization whose mission it is to build good character, citizenship and personal fitness among its nearly three million youth members. The perversion files indicate that between 1965 and 1985, an average of about 60 Boy Scout leaders and volunteers a year were discovered to have committed sexual abuse. The BSA has vigorously disputed these statistics, and is fighting to keep the documents from being released to the public.
Do I Have a Boy Scout Sexual Abuse Lawsuit?
The Sexual Abuse Litigation Group at our law firm is an experienced team of trial lawyers that focus on the representation of plaintiffs in Boy Scout sexual abuse lawsuits. We are handling individual litigation nationwide and currently accepting new abuse and molestation cases in all 50 states.
Free Boy Scout Sexual Abuse Lawsuit Evaluation: If you or a loved one has been abused, molested or otherwise victimized by a member of the Boy Scouts of America, you should contact our law firm immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a Boy Scout sexual abuse suit and we can help.