BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA LAWSUIT WHITEPAPER
About Boy Scouts Lawsuit
Boy Scouts of America is an organization that has been active for over 100 years. The BSA program has included over 2.2 million young members between the ages of 5-21 and approximately 800,000 volunteers throughout the United States.
Boy Scouts of America claims to teach their youth members how to be “Prepared for Life” with multiple groups and clubs with various teaching activities.
As of February 2020, The Boy Scouts of America organization has filed for bankruptcy. It is alleged they are filing for bankruptcy due to the many lawsuits being filed against them claiming young members were sexually abused by Scout staff. Because this mass tort is very new, the cases and information about the cases are still developing.
Boy Scouts Sexual Abuse
Actions that constitute sexual abuse include:
- Fondling
- Molestation
- Forced sexual acts
- Taking illicit pictures
Boy Scouts Types of Compensation
- Nominal: When a person has been sexually abused by someone they trusted, such as a scoutmaster, it usually results in severe psychological or emotional trauma. Nominal damages seek to provide peace of mind by awarding the plaintiff for their mental harm experienced as a result of the abuse.
- Punitive: Criminal acts that cause significant emotional or physical harm to someone can be penalized with punitive damages in a civil lawsuit. By making the defendant pay punitive damages, the hope is that they and others with similar mindsets will never repeat the criminal act, such as molesting young children.
Boy Scouts Status of Litigation
United States Bankruptcy Court – District of Delaware – Boy Scouts of America, et al. (Case No. 20-10343-LSS)
Boy Scouts Verdicts and Settlements
In July 2021, the Boy Scouts of America reached a $850M settlement with tens of thousands of sexual abuse victims.