Boy Scout leaders accused of molesting boys for decades

By Rick Sobey
BostHerald
April 23, 2019

https://www.bostonherald.com/2019/04/23/boy-scout-leaders-accused-of-molesting-boys-for-decades/

Attorney Jeff Anderson holds a list of names, during a press conference, of more than 130 Boy Scout leaders who worked in New York and were named in Boy Scouts of America (BSA) “Perversion Files” as having allegations of sexually abusing minors, Tuesday April 23, 2019, in New York. Photo by Bebeto Matthews

Shocking testimony revealing more than 7,000 alleged child sex abusers in the Boy Scouts has sparked questions about the magnitude of the troubling conduct across Massachusetts, with some comparing it to the Catholic Church priest scandal.

On Tuesday, lawyers in New York and New Jersey released the names of nearly 200 Boy Scout leaders who have been accused of molesting boys for decades.

The attorneys said they plan to file lawsuits against the nonprofit Boy Scouts of America. The lawyers said the 130 scout leaders from New York and the 50 from New Jersey are among 7,000 Boy Scout leaders across the country named in the Boy Scouts of America “Perversion Files.”

“It’s a systematic problem,” said Jeff Anderson, whose New York law firm specializes in child sexual abuse cases. “These are perversion files and secrets held by the Boy Scouts of America.”

He called it a system of denial and cover-ups.

Anderson’s law firm also plans to file lawsuits in Massachusetts, a spokeswoman confirmed Tuesday.

The Boy Scouts of America responded on Tuesday, saying they “care deeply about all victims of child abuse and sincerely apologize to anyone who was harmed during their time in Scouting.”

“We believe victims, we support them, and we have paid for unlimited counseling by a provider of their choice,” the statement continued. “Nothing is more important than the safety and protection of children in Scouting and we are outraged that there have been times when individuals took advantage of our programs to abuse innocent children.”

The organization added that it has enacted strong youth protection policies to prevent future abuse, including mandatory youth protection training and a formal leader-selection process that includes criminal background checks. Since the 1920s, they have maintained a Volunteer Screening Database to prevent individuals accused of abuse or inappropriate conduct from joining or re-entering their programs.

“At no time have we ever knowingly allowed a perpetrator to work with youth, and we mandate that all leaders, volunteers and staff members nationwide immediately report any abuse allegation to law enforcement,” the Boy Scouts of America said in a statement.

Boston attorney Mitchell Garabedian, who represented sexual abuse victims during the Catholic Church priest scandal, said Tuesday he has represented about 20 victims who were sexually abused by Boy Scout leaders in Massachusetts.

Garabedian said he has also represented numerous clergy sexual abuse victims who, as part of a troop, were sexually abused by Catholic priests who also attended Boy Scout meetings.

“The innocence of children, improper use of authority and lack of transparency by the Catholic Church and the Boy Scouts of America are the vehicles used by many organizations to continue the wholesale sexual abuse of children,” Garabedian said in a statement.

Boston attorney Carmen Durso, who also represents survivors of sexual abuse, said some people have recently contacted him about bringing cases against Boy Scout leaders. Someone even reached out to him about a potential case Tuesday.

However, Durso pointed to the charitable immunity laws in Massachusetts, which puts a $20,000 limit on cases against nonprofits. Lawyers in other states don’t have the same immunity problem, he said.

“They need to raise it (the $20,000 cap) or get rid of it,” Durso said Tuesday. “The cap is terrible. A lot of people have been treated very badly, and $20,000 is not a whole lot of money especially for what these people have gone through.”