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U.S. NEWS Saturday 31 auguSt 2019
Continued from Front a Baptist minister. Instead
Hundreds of other law- I became an alcoholic. I
suits filed in Guam and became addicted to nu-
other states have already merous types of drugs," he
strained the Boy Scouts fi- said. "It's not easy with this
nances and have led the thought rolling through
organization to consider your head about what
bankruptcy, among other happened to you when
options. you were a kid."
"The Boy Scouts are going The Associated Press does
to have to come to grips not usually identify people
with the issues of their past," who say they were sexually
said Michael Pfau, Wash- assaulted unless they give
ington state-based attor- permission, as both Wright
ney planning the New Jer- and Hunt have.
sey lawsuit. Plaintiffs' attorneys say esti-
In a statement responding mating how much the Boy
to the pending New Jersey Scouts have paid out to
suit, the Boy Scouts said it date and could be liable
apologizes to the victims for is hard because the or-
and encourages them to ganization seeks confiden-
report abuse to law en- tiality in settlements.
forcement. Paul Mones, the plaintiff's
"We believe victims, we lawyer in a 2010 case that
support them, we pay for resulted in a nearly $20 mil-
counseling by a provider lion judgment against the
of their choice, and we Boy Scouts, said the orga-
encourage them to come nization never expected
forward," the organization to face such staggering fi-
said. It added that policies nancial liabilities because
have also been changed of statutes of limitations,
to include mandatory crim- which barred many pur-
inal background checks. ported victims from suing
It also added a rule that and which states are now In this Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2019 photo, Greg Hunt holds a school photo of himself in St.
at least two adult leaders beginning to change to Petersburg, Fla.
must be present with chil- help those who say they Associated Press
dren at all times during ac- were abused.
tivities. "We are witnessing now,
New Jersey's law, signed not just with the Boy Scouts,
in May, allows child victims a major transformation (in)
to sue up until they turn 55 how victims of abuse and
or within seven years of society view these institu-
their first realization that tions," Mones said.
the abuse caused them The Boy Scouts also said in
harm. The current statute of a statement that they're
limitations is age 20 or two considering "all options
years after first realizing the available so we can live
abuse caused harm. The up to our social and moral
bill also opens up a two- responsibility to fairly com-
year window to victims who pensate victims who suf-
were previously barred by fered abuse during their
the statute of limitation. It time in Scouting."
also allows victims to seek If the suits in New Jersey
damages from institutions. and across the country
That has opened the door lead the scouts to pursue
to lawsuits by people like bankruptcy, that would
Charles Wright, 75, of Salt offer the organization a
Lake City, who said he chance to come up with a
was sexually assaulted by plan to repay any plaintiffs,
a "Scout commissioner" in who would have to sign off
Southern California when on the plan, according to
he was about 11. Pamela Foohey, a bank-
"I kept it all a secret for ruptcy expert at the Maurer
years. I became an alco- School of Law and Indiana
holic. I wanted to become University.q