Boy Scout Sex Abuse Lawsuit

Sex abuse lawsuits against the Boy Scouts of America have ended in multi-million dollar jury verdicts after the organization failed to protect boys from known pedophiles.

What You Can Do & How We Can Help

The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting sex abuse cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been sexually abused, molested or raped in the Boy Scouts of America, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Sex Abuse Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.

UPDATE: Judge Approves $850 Million Settlement for Sex Abuse Survivors

In August 2021, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Laurie Selber Silverstein approved an $850 million plan that will allow the Boy Scouts of America to exit bankruptcy and settle more than 80,000 lawsuits brought by survivors of sexual abuse. The settlement fund for survivors would get about $250 million from the national Boy Scouts and $600 million from local councils and insurers.

Sex Abuse Claims Filed by 85,000 Former Boy Scouts

The Boy Scouts in America was hit with approximately 92,000 sexual abuse claims involving troop leaders and volunteers in the organization. After several thousand claims were weeded out as duplicates, the total number fell to around 85,000 claims. BSA filed for bankruptcy, and the terms of the bankruptcy will not allow any additional sexual abuse claims after November 16, 2020.

Boy Scouts Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy After Sex Abuse Victims File Lawsuits

In February 2020, the Boy Scouts of America filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy that will provide a trust fund to compensate victims of sexual abuse, and protect the national organization from approximately 300 lawsuits.

The organization is actively encouraging victims to come forward and file a claim to benefit from the compensation fund by November 16, 2020.

To learn more about the BSA’s restructuring, you can watch this helpful video that explains the Chapter 11 bankruptcy process and visit www.BSArestructuring.org. The BSA youth protection training is now available publicly at www.scouting.org/youth-safety.

Boy Scout Sex Abuse Lawsuit in D.C. Could Open Floodgates of Lawsuits Nationwide

In January 2020, a group of 8 men filed a lawsuit in Washington D.C. that could open the floodgates of sex abuse lawsuits from men who live in states where they were too late to file a lawsuit. Click here to read more.

Lawsuit Describes “Pedophilia Epidemic” in Boy Scouts

Sex Abuse Lawsuit Accuses Boy Scouts of Hiding Pedophiles

August 2019 — A new lawsuit has named 350 previously-unknown men who sexually abused at least 800 boys since the 1960s, with lawyers accusing the Boy Scouts of America of sex trafficking and covering up “the largest pedophile ring on earth.”

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of “S.D.,” a man from Pennsylvania who says he was sexually abused hundreds of times by Paul Antosh, his former Scout Master. S.D.’s attorney Stewart Eisenberg said the lawsuit is the first of many new lawsuits against the BSA to come.

Boy Scout Sex Abuse Lawsuits

Dozens of sex abuse lawsuits have been filed against the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) since 2007. These lawsuits accuse the organization of failing to protect boys from pedophiles, covering up sex abuse, and urging abusers to voluntarily resign rather than notifying the police.

$20 Million Verdict Against Boy Scouts Sets off Wave of Lawsuits

In 2010, a jury in Portland, Oregon ordered the organization to pay nearly $20 million to the victims of Timur Dykes, a Scout Leader who was convicted of sexually abusing young boys in the 1980s.

In this case, Dykes admitted to molesting 17 young Boy Scouts — and yet the BSA allowed him to continue serving as a Scout Master. Publicity from that case led to hundreds of other boys coming forward to file more lawsuits against their abusers.

“Perversion Files” — Proof the Boy Scouts Knew Pedophiles Infiltrated the Organization

During the trial in Portland, Oregon, the BSA admitted keeping a list of “ineligible volunteers” since the 1920s, which included the names of hundreds of alleged pedophiles.

The organization initially claimed that the list kept pedophiles away from children — but the Dykes trial in 2010 uncovered repeated instances where Scout leaders failed to notify police and parents about child molesters, even when the perpetrators confessed.

The files became proof that the organization knew about sexual abuse in their organization and failed to protect young Scouts.

Supreme Court Orders Release of Boy Scout Pedophile List

In 2012, the Oregon Supreme Court ordered the release of more than 10,000 pages of documents from the so-called “Perversion Files,” naming men who were accused of abusing boys since the 1960s.

Those files unearthed hundreds of instances where Scouting officials failed to report the allegations to police. In more than 100 cases, leaders actively covered up the abuse or allowed suspects to hide it.

Examples of Boy Scouts Covering Up Sex Abuse

One troubling case involved an assistant Boy Scout leader named William Lazzarechi. In 1971, he was caught behind a tent, forcing a 12 year-old boy to perform oral sexual acts. Lazzarechi admitted his actions and was removed from the Boy Scout troop, but police were never notified.

The boy was counseled by the troop’s Catholic priest, Rev. Edmond C. Micarelli, who told the boy not to tell his parents about the abuse. In 1990, the priest was accused of raping two young Boy Scouts. In 2002, Micarelli was implicated in a massive lawsuit against the Archdiocese, which involved 36 children and 10 priests.

Do I have a Boy Scout Sex Abuse Lawsuit?

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