Declining membership and several sexual abuse allegations are the reason the Boy Scouts of America filed for bankruptcy protection just a few weeks ago. The depth of the problem within the Boy Scouts and the failure to handle any allegations is the main reason they filed for Chapter 11 in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware.
The future of Boy Scouts is still unknown and some speculate that the impact on local troops and the organization will be so negative that some fear that it will prevent survivors from naming their abusers in court. There are still many survivors that have not come forward.
The issue of filing for bankruptcy is that it may allow the Boy Scouts to hide a multitude of sex abuse secrets and cover-ups. The Boy Scouts said it faces 275 lawsuits in both federal and state courts around the country in addition to 1400 potential claims.
In a statement, the organization said: “The BSA cares deeply about all victims of abuse and sincerely apologizes to anyone who was harmed during their time in Scouting.”
The initial reports of bankruptcy first came out in 2018 along with rumors that the youth organization would walk along similar lines as the Catholic Church which also faced similar claims of sexual abuse. The difference is that the Catholic Church bankruptcy cases, where more than 20 individual dioceses filed for bankruptcy protection, is that the Boy Scouts will be on a national level.
As a result of the Child Victims Act’s short window in some states, victims must swiftly assess and prepare any potential claims they may have against the entities responsible for their abuse. Herman Law represents hundreds of victims of childhood sexual abuse, many of whom have been victims of the widespread problem of sex abuse within the Boy Scouts.
