The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) has sought bankruptcy protection in a move the group says will allow it to build a compensation fund for sex abuse victims and address hundreds of outstanding claims for redress.
The move follows a number of lawsuits filed against the organisation over claims of sexual abuse, alleging it failed to prevent hundreds of cases dating back over decades.
Most of the newly surfacing cases date to the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s; the organisation says there were only five known abuse victims in 2018.
All civil lawsuits against it are now on hold as a result of the bankruptcy application as the group is struggling with declining membership as well as the abuse claims.
“The BSA cares deeply about all victims of abuse and sincerely apologises to anyone who was harmed during their time in scouting. We are outraged that there have been times when individuals took advantage of our programs to harm innocent children,” chief executive Roger Mosby said in a statement.
Court papers filed in Delaware listed liabilities of up to $1bn and assets of as much as $10bn, reports say.
Town Gave Muslim School Permission to Bring In 90 Students, Then It Went Rogue and Brought in Hundreds More
Les Republicans Pounce! Media Denounces ‘Far Right’ Candidate in France For Noticing Riots Are a Bad Thing
How Saudi Arabia’s defense vulnerabilities could become Trump’s problem amid Houthi onslaught
Talarico has made strides to lock down black voters. They could still cost him the Texas Senate race
Maine Democrats fret over Troy Jackson’s guarded Senate campaign
Major transgender Supreme Court victory could be undone by movement’s own lawfare, experts say
Alabama governor commutes death sentence as doubts emerge about evidence in murder conviction
University president sounds alarm as nearly half of students justify violence to stop ‘hate speech’
DHS launches nationwide ICE operation targeting illegal immigrants accused of SNAP food stamp fraud
Florida puts 77-year-old man to death for deputy’s murder as state closes in on execution record
Pennsylvania Welfare Supervisor Accused of Stealing Thousands in Food Stamps, Trading Them for Crack Cocaine
Trump Announces New Fraud Bounty Program, Nick Shirley First to Cash In
U2 Singer Bono Attacks Christians and Jews Who Support Ending Government Waste, Shuttering USAID
Husband of Democratic Party Chair Charged with Stealing $20 Million from Federal Education Grants
Honduran illegal immigrant charged with assaulting ICE officers with hammer during New Jersey traffic stop
Among the matters to be addressed in the bankruptcy court are the fate of the Boy Scouts’ assets; the extent to which the organisation’s insurance will help cover compensation; and whether assets of the Scouts’ 261 local councils will be added to the fund.
As Breitbart News reported, the Boy Scouts of America first mooted filing for bankruptcy back in 2018.
On that occasion leadership of the youth organization hired the law firm Sidley Austin LLP to explore a wide range of options, including petitioning for relief under Chapter 11.
Legal experts noted then that filing for bankruptcy would “stave off” at least 140 lawsuits filed against the organization alleging misconduct by scoutmasters.
The Boys Scouts of America has undertaken rebranding efforts since, with the nonprofit renaming itself “Scouts BSA” in 2019.
In May last year, BSA announced girls will be allowed to join the group in the future. “We wanted to land on something that evokes the past but also conveys the inclusive nature of the program going forward,” Surbaugh said at the time of the announcement.
Town Gave Muslim School Permission to Bring In 90 Students, Then It Went Rogue and Brought in Hundreds More
Les Republicans Pounce! Media Denounces ‘Far Right’ Candidate in France For Noticing Riots Are a Bad Thing
How Saudi Arabia’s defense vulnerabilities could become Trump’s problem amid Houthi onslaught
Talarico has made strides to lock down black voters. They could still cost him the Texas Senate race
Maine Democrats fret over Troy Jackson’s guarded Senate campaign
Major transgender Supreme Court victory could be undone by movement’s own lawfare, experts say
Alabama governor commutes death sentence as doubts emerge about evidence in murder conviction
University president sounds alarm as nearly half of students justify violence to stop ‘hate speech’
DHS launches nationwide ICE operation targeting illegal immigrants accused of SNAP food stamp fraud
Florida puts 77-year-old man to death for deputy’s murder as state closes in on execution record
Pennsylvania Welfare Supervisor Accused of Stealing Thousands in Food Stamps, Trading Them for Crack Cocaine
Trump Announces New Fraud Bounty Program, Nick Shirley First to Cash In
U2 Singer Bono Attacks Christians and Jews Who Support Ending Government Waste, Shuttering USAID
Husband of Democratic Party Chair Charged with Stealing $20 Million from Federal Education Grants
Honduran illegal immigrant charged with assaulting ICE officers with hammer during New Jersey traffic stop
“We’re trying to find the right way to say we’re here for both young men and young women.”
In the 14 months since then, the youth organization has allowed children who identify as girls to join the Scouts, a controversial move that was seen by some, including Girl Scouts of the USA President Kathy Hopinkah Hannan, as an attempt to raise their diminished enrollment numbers.
The 100-year-old organization could now be forced to sell off some of its vast property holdings to raise money for a compensation fund that could surpass $1 billion.
Story cited here.
