Boy Scouts Lawsuit: New Suit Claims Organization Failed To Report Hundreds Of Sexual Abuse Cases, Abusers

A new lawsuit filed in Pennsylvania claims the Boy Scouts of America failed to report hundreds of alleged abusers working in the scouts responsible for hundreds of unreported cases of abuse.

The suit was filed Monday at the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas on the part of the Abused in the Scouts group. The lawsuit alleges that the group has identified 350 alleged abusers that the Boy Scouts failed to report and file under the Boy Scouts’ ineligible volunteer files.

The lead plaintiff in the lawsuit is a 57-year-old man only identified as S.D. However, he claims that he suffered repeated abuse during his time in the Boy Scouts during the 1970s.

“This is the first time he’s ever come forward,” Stewart Eisenberg told the Washington Post. Eisenberg is currently serving as one of the lead lawyers for the Abused in the Scouts. Eisenberg continued, “He’s held it in for all those years.”

Aside from the abusers, the lawsuit also claims said abuse could have been prevented if not for the inaction and negligence of the Boy Scouts. This failure to act on alleged abuse means the Scouts would be guilty of “reckless misconduct” for not protecting victims. Instead, it’s alleged the organization tried to keep the abuse and abusers hidden.

“BSA knew for decades that sexual predators of boys had infiltrated scouting,” the suit says.

In response to the lawsuit, the Boy Scouts of America issued a statement:

“We care deeply about all victims of abuse and sincerely apologize to anyone who was harmed during their time in Scouting. We believe victims, we support them, we pay for counseling by a provider of their choice, and we encourage them to come forward. The BSA has taken significant steps over many years to ensure that we respond aggressively and effectively to reports of sexual abuse. We recognize, however, that there were instances in our organization’s history when cases were not addressed or handled in a manner consistent with our commitment to protect Scouts, the values of our organization, and the procedures we have in place today.”