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.
Blinken says ‘several Americans’ remain detained by Taliban in Afghanistan
House Dem compares GOP to screaming toddler for refusing to budget on debt ceiling
Shooters unload 60 rounds at group of teens in Philadelphia triple shooting: video
Chick-fil-A Fans Mourn as Restaurant Removes Popular Menu Item as part of ‘Spring Cleaning’
Southwest Pilot Becomes ‘Incapacitated’ in Midair, Off-Duty Pilot from Another Airline Forced to Step In
North Dakota House passes controversial school pronoun bill
TikTok CEO tells ‘almost half’ of US on Chinese app politicians ‘could take TikTok away from all 150M of you’
Mike Tyson Calls Out Possible Trump Indictment for What It Really Is, Says Trump Should Not Go to Jail
Kari Lake Scores Major Legal Victory in Election Challenge in AZ Supreme Court – ‘This Is Huge’
GOP, Dem lawmakers call for ‘World War II-style’ military investments to deter China
Monte Vista officers fatally shot suspect who allegedly charged at them with two knives
School choice is moving forward in Texas as Gov. Abbot throws in support
Jordan investigating Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg’s ‘unprecedented abuse’ and ‘politically motivated’ Trump probe
Would Trump indictment help or hurt former president’s 2024 bid to win back White House?
Houston teen accused of paralyzing woman in ‘jugging’ robbery has $200,000 bond cut in half
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.
Blinken says ‘several Americans’ remain detained by Taliban in Afghanistan
House Dem compares GOP to screaming toddler for refusing to budget on debt ceiling
Shooters unload 60 rounds at group of teens in Philadelphia triple shooting: video
Chick-fil-A Fans Mourn as Restaurant Removes Popular Menu Item as part of ‘Spring Cleaning’
Southwest Pilot Becomes ‘Incapacitated’ in Midair, Off-Duty Pilot from Another Airline Forced to Step In
North Dakota House passes controversial school pronoun bill
TikTok CEO tells ‘almost half’ of US on Chinese app politicians ‘could take TikTok away from all 150M of you’
Mike Tyson Calls Out Possible Trump Indictment for What It Really Is, Says Trump Should Not Go to Jail
Kari Lake Scores Major Legal Victory in Election Challenge in AZ Supreme Court – ‘This Is Huge’
GOP, Dem lawmakers call for ‘World War II-style’ military investments to deter China
Monte Vista officers fatally shot suspect who allegedly charged at them with two knives
School choice is moving forward in Texas as Gov. Abbot throws in support
Jordan investigating Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg’s ‘unprecedented abuse’ and ‘politically motivated’ Trump probe
Would Trump indictment help or hurt former president’s 2024 bid to win back White House?
Houston teen accused of paralyzing woman in ‘jugging’ robbery has $200,000 bond cut in half
“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.
Scroll down to leave a comment:
