Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 19 February 2020
Boy Scouts seek bankruptcy, urge victims to step forward

By DAVID CRARY and jor properties, including
BRADY McCOMBS their national headquar-
AP National Writer ters in Irving, Texas, and
The Boy Scouts of America the 140,000-acre Philmont
urged victims to come for- Ranch in New Mexico.
ward Tuesday as the his- One unanswered ques-
toric, 110-year-old organi- tion is whether the Boy
zation filed for bankruptcy Scouts' 261 local councils
protection in the first step — and their campgrounds
toward creating a huge and other assets — will be
compensation fund for po- dragged into the case,
tentially thousands of men even though the Boy Scouts
who were molested as said the councils are legally
youngsters decades ago separate entities and they
by scoutmasters or other were not part of the bank-
leaders. ruptcy filing.
The Scouts resorted to Mike Pfau, a Seattle-based
Chapter 11 in hopes of sur- attorney whose firm is rep-
viving a barrage of lawsuits, resenting scores of men
many of them made pos- nationwide, said the plain-
sible by recent changes in tiffs may go after the local
state laws to allow people In this Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2020, photo, a statue stands outside the Boys Scouts of America head- councils' property holdings,
to sue over long-ago sexual quarters in Irving, Texas. too.
abuse. Associated Press "We believe the real prop-
Bankruptcy will enable the erty held by the local coun-
organization to put those Tuesday morning, bringing over sexual abuse. Roman took a big hit Jan. 1 when cils may be worth signifi-
cases on hold for now and the firm's total to 319. Catholic dioceses across The Church of Jesus Christ cantly more than the Boy
continue operating. But "The opportunity to tell your the country and schools of Latter-day Saints cut ties Scouts' assets," he said. He
ultimately the Boy Scouts story is a cathartic and such as Penn State and and withdrew more than said one question will be
could be forced to sell healing experience," Smola Michigan State have paid 400,000 scouts in favor of whether the Boy Scouts
some of their vast property said. "It's very painful when out hundreds of millions of programs of its own. transferred property to their
holdings, including camp- they actually do it, but get- dollars in recent years. The financial outlook wors- local councils to try to put
grounds and hiking trails, to ting it off your chest is a big The bankruptcy represents ened last year after New it out of the reach of those
raise money for a victims' step." a painful turn for an orga- York, Arizona, New Jersey suing.
fund that could top $1 bil- It will be up to the court nization that has been a and California relaxed their Perry said he hopes the
lion. to set a deadline for filing pillar of American civic life statutes of limitations to court remembers that the
The Boy Scouts estimated claims. The amount of mon- for generations and a train- make it easier for victims Boy Scouts are teaching
1,000 to 5,000 victims will ey each victim will receive ing ground for future lead- to file claims. Teams of law- leadership and life skills to
seek compensation. is likely to depend on what ers. Achieving the rank of yers across the U.S. have children. "You have to take
"The BSA encourages vic- assets are turned over and Eagle Scout has long been been signing up clients by into account the balanc-
tims to come forward to file how many people come a proud accomplishment the hundreds to sue the ing of the victims, but (also)
a claim as the bankruptcy forward. that politicians, business- Boy Scouts. the fact that the kids today
process moves forward," The filing in Wilmington, men, astronauts and others Most of the new cases date who are joining Scouting
the organization said in a Delaware, sets in motion put on their resumes and in to the 1960s, '70s and '80s, had nothing to with those
statement. what could be one of the their official biographies. before the Boy Scouts ad- bad behaviors of criminal
James Kretschmer of Hous- biggest, most complex "I'm sad for all the victims opted mandatory crimi- acts of perpetrators who
ton, one of those suing, said bankruptcies ever seen, who were preyed upon nal background checks, are long gone," he said.
he was molested by a Scout given the Scouts' 50-state by people entrusted with abuse-prevention training Plaintiffs' attorneys trace
leader in the mid-1970s in presence. The organization their care. I'm sad that no for all staff and volunteers, the Boy Scouts' fall to 2010,
the Spokane, Washington, listed assets of $1 billion to amount of money will undo and a rule that two or more when a jury awarded a
area. The bankruptcy, he $10 billion and liabilities of their trauma," said Jackson adult leaders must be pres- former Scout nearly $20
said, "is a shame because $500 million to $1 billion. Cooper, an Eagle Scout ent during all activities. million in a lawsuit in Port-
at its core and what it was "We are outraged that who is now a prosecutor in Many of the lawsuits ac- land, Oregon. The trial led
supposed to be, the Boy there have been times Louisville, Kentucky. "What- cuse the group of negli- the Oregon Supreme Court
Scouts is a beautiful organi- when individuals took ad- ever consequences come gence and cover-ups. to release 20,000 pages of
zation." vantage of our programs for BSA are no concern of Wayne Perry, a member of confidential Boy Scout files
"But you know, anything to harm innocent children," mine. I only hope, if they the organization's national on 1,200 people after The
can be corrupted," he said Roger Mosby, the Boy continue to operate, they board and past president, Associated Press and other
added. "And if they're not Scouts' president and CEO. build robust systems to pro- said Scout families won't news organizations fought
going to protect the peo- "While we know nothing tect the young people in notice any differences as a for their disclosure. Until last
ple that they've entrusted can undo the tragic abuse their care." result of the bankruptcy. He spring, the organization
with the children, then shut that victims suffered, we The Boy Scouts' finances touted the protections now had insisted it never know-
it down and move on." believe the Chapter 11 have been strained in in place for young people. ingly allowed a predator
More than 12,000 boys process, with the proposed recent years by declin- "Today, we are really, re- to work with youths. But in
have been molested by trust structure, will provide ing membership and sex- ally good. Were we al- May, the AP reported that
7,800 abusers since the equitable compensation abuse settlements. ways good? No, nobody attorneys for abuse victims
1920s, according to Boy to all victims while main- The number of youths tak- was good 50 years ago, 40 had identified multiple cas-
Scout files revealed in court taining the BSA's important ing part in scouting has years ago, 30 years ago," es in which known preda-
papers. mission." dropped below 2 million, Perry said. tors were allowed to return
Evan Smola said two new The Boy Scouts are the lat- down from a peak of more Amid the crush of lawsuits, to leadership posts. The
victims had already called est major American institu- than 4 million during the the Scouts recently mort- next day, the Boy Scouts
his law office in Chicago on tion to face a heavy price 1970s. Its membership rolls gaged some of their ma- acknowledged the truth.q