***THE DEADLINE TO FILE A CLAIM IN THIS LITIGATION IS MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2020.  WE APOLOGIZE, BUT BECAUSE OF THE TIMING WE ARE NO LONGER ACCEPTING NEW CASES.***

Boy Scout Sexual Abuse

There was a very dark secret for almost a century behind the façade of one of the most popular youth programs in U.S. history. Quite simply – and horrifically – Boy Scouts of America members, as well as their younger counterparts in Cub Scouts, were being sexually abused by their adult supervisors.

Behind one of the most all-American activities for developing boys in our nation was a secret so devastating that it continues to shatter the lives of thousands of men. And they suffered needlessly, because the Boy Scouts of America knew about the abuse this whole time.

Victims of this sexual abuse need to know that, no matter how long ago, they may be entitled to a substantial settlement through the Boy Scout’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring process. By settling these claims through bankruptcy, abuse survivors could get compensation faster and more efficiently than by having individual trials.

However, there is a limited amount of time to file claims, so contacting the attorneys at Junell & Associates immediately is critical, either through the form on this page OR the number at the top.

Boy Scouts and Bankruptcy

In February of 2020, The Boy Scouts of America filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy because of hundreds of sexual abuse lawsuits filed against them.

The Chapter 11 bankruptcy process means that the federal bankruptcy court has set a deadline of November 16, 2020 for filing claims against BSA, including abuse claims. The November deadline limits Scouting abuse survivors’ time to file those claims, so coming forward now is critical.

The bankruptcy process includes the creation of a committee of unsecured creditors, which is what the abuse claimants will technically become, and that committee will determine what financial obligations the Boy Scouts of America owes, and to whom.  Thus, abuse survivors will effectively become creditors in the BSA bankruptcy, and again, it is being set up this way to avoid lengthy, painful trials, and also to make sure claimants get paid what is owed to them as quickly as possible.

The Perversion Files

The Boy Scouts of America has kept thousands of secret files documenting sexual abuse in the Boy Scouts since its founding over 100 years ago.  These files, known as the “Perversion Files”, contain the names of alleged sexual predators inside the ranks of the Boy Scouts stretching back to 1919.  For decades, BSA would not disclose their secret blacklist to the general public.

However, through an individual lawsuit against BSA in 2012 that drew national attention, investigators were eventually able to review some of these files.  After reviewing over 1,600 confidential BSA files from 1970 to 1991, it was revealed that BSA officials often asked sexual predators to resign instead of being reported to authorities.  Many of these abusers were not reported to the police.

Sexual predators were allowed harm more children because of BSA’s negligence to report these crimes of abuse, and our firm simply has no choice but to fight for those aggrieved in situations like these.

Next Steps

If you suffered sexual abuse at any time while either a Boy Scout OR a Cub Scout, then please reach out to us.  Time is running out.  Even if you think the abuse happened too long ago, please reach out anyway — we will help you determine if your case is potentially prohibited by any statute that might prevent you from filing a valid claim.  Our firm is incredibly sensitive to the nature of these claims, and we take confidentiality extremely seriously, not only because it’s required by law, but also because we understand the impact these horrific acts have had on thousands of men’s lives across the decades.