Over 5,000 incidents of sexual abuse in the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) have been named by clients of Abused in Scouting (AIS), a legal movement representing survivors of sexual abuse in the Scouts. These names are now compiled into a Boy Scouts of America abuser list, a database for other Scouting abuse survivors to search through.
AIS shows in their “List of Confirmed Abusers in the BSA” that 5,432 reports of childhood sexual abuse have been named by former Boy Scouts. These men allege they were molested at the hands of Scoutmasters and BSA volunteers as children, some of the accounts dating back to as early as the 1940’s.
Investigations in the last few years have found that the infamous youth organization kept thousands of secret files of sexual abuse in the BSA since its founding in the 1910. These reports, dubbed the “Perversion Files,” detailed horrific cases of Scoutmasters, BSA volunteers and staff molesting children in Scouting programs, sometimes multiple times and in multiple states.
Instead of reporting these abusers to the police, the Scouts simply transferred abusers to a different troop or dismissed alleged predators through a letter.
“We are making no accusations and will not release this information to anyone, so our action in no way will affect your standing in the community,” the BSA dismissal letter said.
Additionally, the BSA destroyed “Perversion Files” if the report was considered “outdated.” So, thousands of sexual predators in the BSA could be unaccounted for due to the BSA’s actions.
In AIS’s Boy Scouts of America abuser list, predators’ first and last names are provided along with their troop ID number, city and state where the abuse happened, and their troop number. Some abusers are named more than once and in multiple states.
Looking at AIS’s map of reported abuse locations, Scouting abuse happened in every state in the U.S. This map also includes a few international cases of BSA sexual abuse in countries such as Spain, England, and Italy.
In February 2020, the BSA declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy due to the thousands of sexual abuse lawsuits brought against them by ex-Scouts. Facing an enormous litigation, the BSA claims to want to use the bankruptcy process to set up a compensation plan for victims of Scouting abuse.
Were You Sexually Abused in the Boy Scouts of America?
If you were sexually abused in the Boy Scouts of America, your time to file a claim against the BSA for your abuse may be running short. The Bankruptcy Court set November 16, 2020 as the deadline for filing claims against the BSA for sexual abuse. This means that after this deadline, Scouting abuse survivors may longer get to file claims against the BSA for their abuse and hold the organization accountable for their crimes.
Having an experienced sexual abuse attorney on your side to listen to your story and defend your rights is necessary when filing a claim for your Scouting abuse. At Abused in Scouting, our lawyers are here to make sure your voice is heard in this litigation and fight aggressively for your right to compensation. To speak with a legal professional today about whether you may be eligible for compensation for your abuse, contact us today at 1.888.99.SCOUT. We offer free, no-obligation case evaluation around the clock for your convenience.