Chief Scout Executive for the Boy Scouts of America, James Tarr, publicly announced that sexual abuse of children “has been an issue since the Boy Scouts began” in 1910. For over a century, BSA has been aware of the widespread sexual abuse of its young scouts at the hands of countless pedophile scout leaders. Starting in the 1920s, BSA began storing confidential files on volunteers who were accused of sexually abusing boys within the organization. BSA used this “volunteer file” to quietly identify pedophiles in its ranks and attempted to keep them out of the organization. Decades later, these files were renamed the “perversion files” as they were made public during landmark lawsuits against BSA. Parents put their trust in BSA to forge strong values for their young boys, and never anticipated that same organization would cause lifelong physical, emotional, and psychological trauma to their kids.

 

Boy Scouts of America (BSA) Sexual Abuse Legal Case

If you or a loved one were sexually abused as a child during your time in BSA, please call us at 800-322-5573 for a free consultation with one of our sexual abuse attorneys. Our staff of attorneys, paralegals, and legal assistants have extensive experience working with survivors of sexual abuse and work hard to ensure that each survivor’s call is handled with compassion, respect, and confidentiality.

You can also fill out the Free Case Evaluation form on this page and a qualified representative will respond to your inquiry soon.

Because of mounting legal costs as a result of an increased amount of sexual abuse survivors coming forward and filing lawsuits, the Boy Scouts of America filed for bankruptcy in 2020 and set up a victim's compensation fund. Due to the statute of limitations decided upon by each state when it comes to sexual abuse cases, it's important to talk to a sexual abuse lawyer right away to ensure that you can receive compensation for yourself or your child before the statute of limitations runs out.

When the Boy Scouts of America filed for "reorganization" under Chapter 11, the bankruptcy court set a deadline for all claims to be filed by November 16th, 2020. This means that if you or your child have been sexually abused by Boy Scouts of America staff members or volunteers, you have until November 16th, 2020 to file your claim. Anything filed after that date will be rejected.

Since February 2020, over 2,000 cases have been filed against the Boy Scouts of America for alleged sexual abuse.

How Filing for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Benefits the Boy Scouts of America

By filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the Boy Scouts of America can now reorganize itself. They can meet their obligations to pay creditors, sexual abuse victims, and restructure themselves to ensure that they can continue operating after the conclusion of the proceedings.

The bankruptcy filing also affords the Boy Scouts of America to forego defending individual civil cases and instead deal with their mounting liability through one overarching bankruptcy proceeding. This means that BSA won't face victims individually. Rather, BSA will organize a trust to compensate thousands of victims but victims only have until November 16, 2020 to file their claim!

All current case filings against the Boy Scouts of America are suspended until the court makes its ruling on BSA’s bankruptcy petition.

 

Who is Eligible to File a Claim against the Boy Scouts of America

Anyone who has been sexually abused by a Boy Scouts of America staff member or volunteer is eligible to file a claim. It's especially encouraged if you:

  • Called the Scouts First Helpline to report a case of abuse at any point in time
  • Were sexually abused but have never filed a lawsuit, entered into a settlement with, or reported your abuse to the Boy Scouts of America
  • Were a victim of sexual abuse during your time in the Boy Scouts of America and your claim would normally have been barred due to your state's statutes of limitations
  • Are the parent of a child who was a victim of sexual abuse during their time in the Boy Scouts of America

Get Your Free Sexual Abuse Case Evaluation with an Experienced Cooney & Conway Attorney

 

Is There Proof Scout Leaders Were Sexual Predators?

The Boy Scouts of America was court-ordered to release confidential files of "ineligible volunteers" (aka reported sexual predators) in 2010 that contained the names of 7,819 alleged abusers and the names of 12,254 young victims. Although they were only the names reported covering the abusers and the abused from 1965 to 1985, it's obvious that the BSA has had more than just these cases before and after those dates. Whether or not your abuser or your child's abuser's name was in these files, you may still be able to receive compensation.

Hundreds of lawsuits and over 1,400 pending legal actions are against BSA right now. The plaintiffs in these lawsuits have accused the Boy Scouts of America of the following:

  • Concealing the identities of sexual predators in a coverup that lasted for decades
  • Sexual abuse at the hand of scout leaders, scoutmasters, or other BSA staff or volunteers

 

Can My Lawsuit Against the Boy Scouts of America be Kept Confidential?

Yes! Whether you or your child are the survivors of sexual abuse, you have the right to keep your identity private. Just be sure to request that your case be kept confidential when you report it to law enforcement.

As your lawyers, we'll ensure you remain anonymous and keep your name off of public records if that's what you want us to do. This will keep you from prying news agencies that could use your story.

For the Boy Scouts of America bankruptcy proceedings specifically, claims made under it are not made available to the general public.

 

Why You Want a Lawyer to File Your BSA Sexual Abuse Claim

You can actually download the necessary forms and other paperwork to submit your claim on your own. However, this is exactly what BSA lawyers and their insurance carriers want you to do because "it's that easy." The reality is that they get away with giving you a much smaller amount of money than you're eligible for because you don't have a lawyer fighting for the compensation you truly deserve. You don't know what you don't know, but sexual abuse lawyers at Cooney and Conway DO know. We'll fight for every penny you deserve.

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How Cooney and Conway Sexual Abuse Lawyers Can Help You

Our sexual abuse lawyers and legal team can help advocate for you and help you recover compensation for any losses that you or your child endured as a result of being a victim of sexual abuse at the hands of the Boy Scouts of America. We will hold them accountable for the unspeakable acts that were committed and the ways in which they failed to protect you or your child.

Submit Your Free Sexual Abuse Case Evaluation to a Cooney & Conway Attorney