'Tens of thousands of victims': Boy Scouts of America files for bankruptcy over sex abuse case

[donnay]

What a shame. The evil perverts are everywhere!


'Tens of thousands of victims': Boy Scouts of America files for bankruptcy over sex abuse cases

by Zachary Halaschak | February 18, 2020 08:12 AM


The Boy Scouts of America filed for bankruptcy protection following hundreds of lawsuits alleging sexual abuse within the organization.

The Chapter 11 petition filed in Delaware early Tuesday put a pause on the lawsuits that have plagued the 110-year-old organization for several years. The settlements that have so far been doled out to victims who were sexually abused while in the Scouts have made it difficult for the organization to function without filing for bankruptcy.

BSA said that it made the decision in order to help compensate victims of the abuse and to keep the organization afloat. A Victims Compensation Trust is in the works and will give “equitable compensation to victims,” according to BSA.

“The BSA cares deeply about all victims of abuse and sincerely apologizes 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,” said president and CEO Roger Mosby.

Mosby said that although “nothing can undo the tragic abuse that victims suffered,” the Chapter 11 filing along with the "proposed Trust structure" would help those who were abused.

Mike Pfau, a Seattle-based attorney representing hundreds of victims, pointed out that the sheer scale of the bankruptcy was enormous.

“You’re talking about thousands of perpetrators,” Pfau said. “You’re talking about tens of thousands of victims. This will be the largest bankruptcy the country has ever seen, and likely one of the largest corporate bankruptcies.”

The petition listed BSA’s assets as between $1 billion and $10 billion and liabilities between $500 million and $1 billion.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/tens-of-thousands-of-victims-boy-scouts-of-america-files-for-bankruptcy-over-sex-abuse-cases

[Valli6]

What a shame. The evil perverts are everywhere!

It really seems that way.

For decades, people have singled out and ridiculed Catholics over sex abuse that occurred, implying that it’s somehow, something inherent in the religion itself.

I’ve now come to believe that the problem has unfortunately, always been rampant all around us, and that members of the Catholic religion were simply the first ones with the humility to finally face up to it, and try to find a way to make amends - actually an extremely brave and selfless move.

[Matt Collins]

The dichotomy here is interesting.

One one hand it is sad to see a once great organization go down the tubes.

On the other hand, given their recent progressive agenda over the last 15 years, I can't say that isn't well deserved.

Hopefully this just means less national dictates and more local control over program.

[Anti Federalist]

The dichotomy here is interesting.

One one hand it is sad to see a once great organization go down the tubes.

On the other hand, given their recent progressive agenda over the last 15 years, I can't say that isn't well deserved.

Hopefully this just means less national dictates and more local control over program.


Because of that...and this...they are toast.

[dannno]

It really seems that way.

For decades, people have singled out and ridiculed Catholics over sex abuse that occurred, implying that it’s somehow, something inherent in the religion itself.

I’ve now come to believe that the problem has unfortunately, always been rampant all around us, and that members of the Catholic religion were simply the first ones with the humility to finally face up to it, and try to find a way to make amends - actually an extremely brave and selfless move.

Hah, I wouldn't go that far..

[fisharmor]

I spent 12 years involved with scouting as a child, and another couple as an adult.

I was never sexually abused and never even heard of anyone else being abused.

But people here need to know a couple things about scouting.

First, the entire organization was founded on the idea of creating better soldiers. To a certain extent it's basically a recruiting scheme to this very day.

Second, the entire Boy Scouts of America is a shill for modern American government. In order to get the Eagle rank boys are required to learn "Citizenship", but this amounts to nothing more than propaganda for the status quo. It's a machine for creating slightly right-of-center young adults who feel zero urge to ask difficult questions about their government.

Third, the BSA in particular espouses synchretist theology. Every boy is free to pursue whatever religion he sees fit but is also required to participate in quasi-religious (and in some cases, fully religious) ceremonies that necessarily conflict with all but the most milquetoast religious views. Scouting is an entry-level fraternal organization, and there is a reason why the types of religious groups that have a problem with Freemasonry, also have a problem with Scouting.

Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of things I learned from Scouting that I value, a lot - I appreciate learning leadership, archery, shooting, leatherwork, trail work, how to hike, canoe, and all the other hard skills I picked up. I just really wish it didn't come at the cost of being brainwashed into accepting the way things are in society for the next 15 years of my life afterward.

The point is, take away all of the pederasty and you're still left with an organization that is only partially fit to exist. In its most idealized form, Scouting does not create men. It creates more competent servants.

[Anti Federalist]

I spent 12 years involved with scouting as a child, and another couple as an adult.

I was never sexually abused and never even heard of anyone else being abused.

But people here need to know a couple things about scouting.

First, the entire organization was founded on the idea of creating better soldiers. To a certain extent it's basically a recruiting scheme to this very day.

Second, the entire Boy Scouts of America is a shill for modern American government. In order to get the Eagle rank boys are required to learn "Citizenship", but this amounts to nothing more than propaganda for the status quo. It's a machine for creating slightly right-of-center young adults who feel zero urge to ask difficult questions about their government.

Third, the BSA in particular espouses synchretist theology. Every boy is free to pursue whatever religion he sees fit but is also required to participate in quasi-religious (and in some cases, fully religious) ceremonies that necessarily conflict with all but the most milquetoast religious views. Scouting is an entry-level fraternal organization, and there is a reason why the types of religious groups that have a problem with Freemasonry, also have a problem with Scouting.

Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of things I learned from Scouting that I value, a lot - I appreciate learning leadership, archery, shooting, leatherwork, trail work, how to hike, canoe, and all the other hard skills I picked up. I just really wish it didn't come at the cost of being brainwashed into accepting the way things are in society for the next 15 years of my life afterward.

The point is, take away all of the pederasty and you're still left with an organization that is only partially fit to exist. In its most idealized form, Scouting does not create men. It creates more competent servants.

Whatever it's faults, it was a way in which boys could become men through trials and hard work, a right of passage that is vital for young men to experience.

It is now destroyed, at the hands of SJWs and filthy kiddie diddling fagggots.

Leaving even more young boys to rot in the misandrist sickness that surrounds us.

[Valli6]

Hah, I wouldn't go that far..
It was a horribly, shameful thing to admit to the entire world. Most entities (i.e. politicians, celebrities, jews, muslims) will continue to maintain their secrets, with just the occasional accusation leaking out here and there. Notice that we've never heard of any jeffery-epstein blackmail-iz-us operations, or hit jobs amongst Catholics, as has occurred with the rest of them over child abuse. That's because there were people within the group who recognized that doing the right thing, was more important than their own shame. Can't say that about the others.

[samforpaul]

[QUOTE=fisharmor;6923309]

Second, the entire Boy Scouts of America is a shill for modern American government. In order to get the Eagle rank boys are required to learn "Citizenship", but this amounts to nothing more than propaganda for the status quo. It's a machine for creating slightly right-of-center young adults who feel zero urge to ask difficult questions about their government.

Third, the BSA in particular espouses synchretist theology. Every boy is free to pursue whatever religion he sees fit but is also required to participate in quasi-religious (and in some cases, fully religious) ceremonies that necessarily conflict with all but the most milquetoast religious views. Scouting is an entry-level fraternal organization, and there is a reason why the types of religious groups that have a problem with Freemasonry, also have a problem with Scouting.




Very thought-provoking info there. The Church of which I'm a member allow scouts to use our facility. Please expound.
Do you think I should say something to our leadership and what would be good questions to ask.

[Anti Globalist]

Besides the sex abuse, allowing girl to join the boy scouts also paid a role in this.

[Matt Collins]

First, the entire organization was founded on the idea of creating better soldiers. To a certain extent it's basically a recruiting scheme to this very day.Uh no, not really. Some troops may be more "pro-military" than others (especially if they are near a military base), but in general they are not a "recruitment scheme" for the military.




Second, the entire Boy Scouts of America is a shill for modern American government. In order to get the Eagle rank boys are required to learn "Citizenship", but this amounts to nothing more than propaganda for the status quo. It's a machine for creating slightly right-of-center young adults who feel zero urge to ask difficult questions about their government.Again, it depends on your troop. In the troops I were in this was not the case. And there is nothing wrong with being a good citizen. Remember patriotism doesn't mean loyalty to the government. I will say that many of my fellow Eagle Scouts from my area were indeed deep thinkers that did not blindly follow some political agenda. After 9/11 that may have changed a bit, but that was more the general trend of the country as a whole at the time.





Third, the BSA in particular espouses synchretist theology. Every boy is free to pursue whatever religion he sees fit but is also required to participate in quasi-religious (and in some cases, fully religious) ceremonies that necessarily conflict with all but the most milquetoast religious views. Scouting is an entry-level fraternal organization, and there is a reason why the types of religious groups that have a problem with Freemasonry, also have a problem with Scouting.If you're an atheist then you probably don't belong. There is, at minimum, a deistic component to Scouting, being with nature, etc. But I always found it to be bland enough as to not offend anyone who was actually a person of most faiths.


I'm not sure where you were involved with Scouting, but it seemed that you had an experience that was a bit abnormal.

[oyarde]

[QUOTE=fisharmor;6923309]

Second, the entire Boy Scouts of America is a shill for modern American government. In order to get the Eagle rank boys are required to learn "Citizenship", but this amounts to nothing more than propaganda for the status quo. It's a machine for creating slightly right-of-center young adults who feel zero urge to ask difficult questions about their government.

Third, the BSA in particular espouses synchretist theology. Every boy is free to pursue whatever religion he sees fit but is also required to participate in quasi-religious (and in some cases, fully religious) ceremonies that necessarily conflict with all but the most milquetoast religious views. Scouting is an entry-level fraternal organization, and there is a reason why the types of religious groups that have a problem with Freemasonry, also have a problem with Scouting.




Very thought-provoking info there. The Church of which I'm a member allow scouts to use our facility. Please expound.
Do you think I should say something to our leadership and what would be good questions to ask.

Here most scouts meet at Methodist churches . There are other military organizations for that age too like Young Marines .

[kpitcher]

Besides the sex abuse, allowing girl to join the boy scouts also paid a role in this.

It's not co-ed, girls have to be in a separate group - if the local group even decides to and has enough adult volunteers to allow females as it is a local control decision. Some of the meetings and award ceremonies, or like a scout university training event, may be co-ed but not camping or any boy led events which I'd call true scouting. Girls have been able to be part of Boy Scout Canada and other countries without an issue for a long time. It's simply not that big a deal.

The boy scout handbook has started with a 20 page 'report any bad touching' section for decades, adult volunteers are tested on the '2 adults at all time' before you can help, it's a shame the organization had issues like that where the first impression any new scout gets is about abuse.

The mormon church pulling 400,000 boy scouts into their new church youth program had to put a financial hurt on the bottom line. I'm sure the organization will continue but this does explain the closure of a variety of local boy scout camps over the last year and the doubling of boy scout membership dues.

[fisharmor]

Very thought-provoking info there. The Church of which I'm a member allow scouts to use our facility. Please expound.
Do you think I should say something to our leadership and what would be good questions to ask.

Please pardon any indelicacy in my explaining this as it's also directed at Matt.

To offer an example from my past, which is admittedly the worst example I can remember, there was an outing where a prayer service was led by an adult leader of unknown credentials where I was given communion.

If you don't know, the official reaction a church body might have to this ranges from yawns, to abject horror. And the horror is subjective too: There are nominally Christian groups that are horrified at the mere concept of taking communion, and then there are groups that would respond to this by excommunicating the boy for taking part in it until he receives the remedial education on the subject necessary to be able to discern why it wasn't ok to participate.

But this has always been the semi-official stance of BSA, which Matt was happy to reinforce: as long as you're a yawner, you're going to get along fine. If you're not, and if your church body teaches things like how you really can't stand in a circle and recite a prayer to a nebulous "great master of all scouts" (http://www.scoutorama.com/the-benediction-scoutmasters-minute) alongside Buddhists and Muslims and expect it to be ok, or if you believe that you can't swear in the official Scout Oath (https://www.scouting.org/about/faq/question10/) to "do your duty to God" without getting into theologically unsound territory, then the answer from BSA - at least unofficially - is the same as Matt's comment about atheists - they just don't belong. Unlike atheists and homosexuals, conservatively Christian boys have been kept out of the organization by parents who don't lack the aforementioned discernment, so it hasn't been a national issue.



Uh no, not really. Some troops may be more "pro-military" than others (especially if they are near a military base), but in general they are not a "recruitment scheme" for the military.
So you're telling me you made it to Eagle and never stayed overnight in a National Guard armory or toured a military facility or got to see other facets of military life that your non-Scout friends never got to experience.
I don't believe that.


And there is nothing wrong with being a good citizen. Remember patriotism doesn't mean loyalty to the government.
You're strawmanning. I didn't say there was something wrong with being a good citizen. I said

In order to get the Eagle rank boys are required to learn "Citizenship", but this amounts to nothing more than propaganda for the status quo. It's a machine for creating slightly right-of-center young adults who feel zero urge to ask difficult questions about their government.

Here are the requirements for the Citizenship in the Nation Merit Badge. (https://www.boyscouttrail.com/boy-scouts/meritbadges/citizenship-in-the-nation-merit-badge.asp) They do not appear to have changed significantly since I earned mine in the early 90s.
Note number 3:

Watch the national evening news five days in a row OR read the front page of a major daily newspaper five days in a row. Discuss the national issues you learned about with your counselor. Choose one of the issues and explain how it affects you and your family.

In the year 2020 this requirement is literally "Watch CNN and tell me why Orange Man Bad".

How about number 4:

Discuss each of the following documents with your counselor. Tell your counselor how you feel life in the United States might be different without each one.

Declaration of Independence
Preamble to the Constitution
The Constitution
Bill of Rights
Amendments to the Constitution


The requirement is not "explain the difference between positive and negative rights". The requirement is not "explain why the original purpose of the 2nd Amendment is still valid today". The requirement is not "explain why the fourth and fifth amendments are vital to a free society". So we can't even get on the same continent as "explain why the 17th Amendment destroyed the original balance of power".
Nope, just "tell me how life would be different".

You know what is a 100% valid answer to that requirement? Something like this: "If we didn't have a 2nd Amendment then school shootings would disappear overnight because the pretty people you told me to watch in requirement 3 told me so".



I'm not sure where you were involved with Scouting, but it seemed that you had an experience that was a bit abnormal.
No, we had the exact same experience. The difference is I also learned things I wasn't being actively taught.

[Matt Collins]

To offer an example from my past, which is admittedly the worst example I can remember, there was an outing where a prayer service was led by an adult leader of unknown credentials where I was given communion.I agree with you, that shouldn't have happened in the Scouts.

[Matt Collins]

So you're telling me you made it to Eagle and never stayed overnight in a National Guard armory or toured a military facility or got to see other facets of military life that your non-Scout friends never got to experience.Yes of course. Got to tour a nuclear sub and multiple aircraft carriers. And it was awesome. And at no point was there ever a push to "join the military"




Here are the requirements for the Citizenship in the Nation Merit Badge. (https://www.boyscouttrail.com/boy-scouts/meritbadges/citizenship-in-the-nation-merit-badge.asp) They do not appear to have changed significantly since I earned mine in the early 90s.
Note number 3:


In the year 2020 this requirement is literally "Watch CNN and tell me why Orange Man Bad".
They probably need to update those requirements a bit because fewer and fewer people get their news that way these days. And no, it isn't some sort of anti-Trump requirement lol.




How about number 4:
[/LIST]

The requirement is not "explain the difference between positive and negative rights". The requirement is not "explain why the original purpose of the 2nd Amendment is still valid today". The requirement is not "explain why the fourth and fifth amendments are vital to a free society". So we can't even get on the same continent as "explain why the 17th Amendment destroyed the original balance of power".
Nope, just "tell me how life would be different".

You know what is a 100% valid answer to that requirement? Something like this: "If we didn't have a 2nd Amendment then school shootings would disappear overnight because the pretty people you told me to watch in requirement 3 told me so".
You're reaching, hard. That is a very valid question, remember you're dealing with teenagers, not philsophers or legal scholars. And some of them are below average so they can't make it a collegiate level mental exercise. Either way the goal is to get the kids to think about those documents and why they were written and what they mean. Essentially just become vaguely familiar with them.


For some reason you seem butthurt over your time in the Scouts, which tells me you were probably in the wrong troop. Lots of scouts can have vastly different experiences just simply being in the troop down the road.

[Zippyjuan]

Just a note- the cases date back as far as 1944- 75 years ago. Some states have removed the statute of limitations.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/boy-scouts-bankruptcy-bid-prompts-other-sex-abuse-victims-step-n1138161


The Boy Scouts said that only the national organization had filed for Chapter 11 and that local councils that provide programming and other services are financially independent.

The Boy Scouts leadership also insisted that scouting “is safer now than ever before” and 90 percent of the claims against the organization “occurred more than 30 years ago.”


Those files, which were collected by the Boy Scouts and go back to 1944, contain the names of 7,819 Scout leaders who allegedly preyed on boys, as well as the names of 12,254 victims, experts and attorneys involved in the cases have said.

So far, only the files from 1965 to 1985 have been made public.

[fisharmor]

Yes of course. Got to tour a nuclear sub and multiple aircraft carriers. And it was awesome. And at no point was there ever a push to "join the military"
And porn isn't an actual push to get boys to have sex with buxom women either.
I think we'll just leave this at an agreement that you aren't able to follow how 6 years of glamorizing military life might condition teenagers into thinking it's the way to go.


They probably need to update those requirements a bit because fewer and fewer people get their news that way these days. And no, it isn't some sort of anti-Trump requirement lol.
Sorry, I forgot you probably still unironically watch national news. Try doing without for a few years, and then watch a couple segments. Then get back to me.


You're reaching, hard. That is a very valid question, remember you're dealing with teenagers, not philsophers or legal scholars. And some of them are below average so they can't make it a collegiate level mental exercise.
But we aren't talking about a day camp activity for special ed kids. We're talking about a required badge for Scouting's highest award.

When I took another Eagle-requried merit badge - Lifesaving - at age 13, weighing 110 lbs, I had to dive down into 12 feet of muddy lake water, sift through 2 feet of weeds in the dark, find a concrete block, and bring it up to the surface.
If I didn't get that concrete block to the surface in the time alloted, I was informed that the scout I was trying to save was NOW DEAD.
If I hadn't done it, I would NOT HAVE GOTTEN THE BADGE.


Either way the goal is to get the kids to think about those documents and why they were written and what they mean. Essentially just become vaguely familiar with them.
I still refuse to believe we had different experiences because my Lifesaving merit badge experience was at a summer camp that catered to any troop within about 4 states.
So I think we'll leave this discussion at an agreement that you think it's OK to phone in the citizenship requirements from orbit.
I maintain that I don't think that's OK, and I hope I demonstrated there is absolutely no reason to do it. Kids are way more capable than you make them out to be.


For some reason you seem butthurt over your time in the Scouts, which tells me you were probably in the wrong troop. Lots of scouts can have vastly different experiences just simply being in the troop down the road.

I think I've been quite clear that I had a good time and I place high value on the hard skills I picked up. I would go so far as to say a full 70% of what I did in Scouts was not a waste of time. I merely wanted to point out to others that there are other completely valid reasons to think twice about sending your sons there, besides the rape risk. At least there are for the type of people I thought this site was for.

ETA, also, dude, my false-Communion and Lifesaving Merit Badge experiences are, as far as I can tell, the first personal experiences I've shared so far, and both were in situations where other troops were involved. I've spoken in generalities, I've linked to official Scout documents, and I've been appealing to what the organization does overall this entire time. It's not a valid response for you to reply to this with "you're just butthurt about your troop".

[specsaregood]

I think we'll just leave this at an agreement that you aren't able to follow how 6 years of glamorizing military life might condition teenagers into thinking it's the way to go.

Military recruiters have specifically requested the right to do those types of things for kids in high school and younger so as to encourage them to seek a military career when they grow older.

[Matt Collins]

And porn isn't an actual push to get boys to have sex with buxom women either.I don't think most teenage boys need any "push" in that department ha ha ha.



I think we'll just leave this at an agreement that you aren't able to follow how 6 years of glamorizing military life might condition teenagers into thinking it's the way to go.First off there is nothing wrong with voluntary military service in and of itself. Secondly do you forget that Ron had the most donations from active duty military members during his runs for President?

And also, never once while I was in Scouts was military life "glamorized." In fact, just the opposite. We got to see some of it so close up that we realized how bad it can suck depending on what you're doing. Again, maybe if your troop is near a major base I can see a lot of promotion going on, but people's social circles are indeed a product of their environment.


My troop's parents were all highly educated upper middle class engineers with a few exceptions (one was a nuclear engineer in the Navy heh).



Sorry, I forgot you probably still unironically watch national news. Try doing without for a few years, and then watch a couple segments. Then get back to me.I haven't had cable or watched the "news" on purpose since 2007 with a few minor and very specific exceptions.

[Matt Collins]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iv_clxpFs_8