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Boy Scouts of America is accused of covering up reports of sex abuse in massive new lawsuit detailing accounts from nearly 800 young members against at least 350 alleged pedophile troop leaders
Date Shared: May 21st, 2024
Date Released: August 6th, 2019
Source: dailymail.co.uk

Excerpt


- A legal team dubbed 'Abused in Scouting' filed a damning lawsuit against Boy Scouts of America on Monday in Pennsylvania

- The suit details allegations from 800 former scouts, many of whom came forward this year

- The abuse described in court documents spans eight decades and 48 states

- The suit centers around a 57-year-old plaintiff, identified only as S.D.

- The plaintiff alleges that his former scout master plied him with alcohol and drugs and abused him 'hundreds of times' over a four-year period in the 1970s

- The suit claims that BSA's negligence allowed the alleged abuse to take place

- It accuses the organization of purposely trying to keep reports of sex abuse under wraps and of failing to protect the children it served


The suit centers around a 57-year-old plaintiff, identified only as S.D., who alleges that his former scout master plied him with alcohol and drugs and abused him 'hundreds of times' over a four-year period during the 1970s in Pennsylvania. 

The lawyers, who dubbed their team 'Abused in Scouting', say that the long list of alleged abusers compiled while building that case over the last several months indicates that BSA either did not properly vet its volunteers or that it hid the extent of the sex abuse scandal.  

'It is apparent that the Boy Scout Defendants continue to hide the true nature of their cover-up and the extent of the pedophilia epidemic within their organizations because the vast majority of new victims coming forward involve claims of abuse at the hands of pedophiles who are not yet identified by the Boy Scouts of America,' a complaint obtained by USA says.

The detailed accounts of abuse outlined in the lawsuit range from fondling to sodomy, taking place in various locations including tents in the wilderness, vehicles used to transport scouts to troop activities, and even within the scouts' homes.

Abused in Scouting attorneys revealed the names of 300 abusers at a press conference on Tuesday morning in Washington DC. 

One former scout claimed that a licensed doctor ordered boys in his troop to sleep naked during campouts and then molested them after they fell asleep.

That same doctor also allegedly abused boys under the guise of medical exams. He lost his license decades after the scout said the abuse took place because similar allegations.  

Another accuser claimed that the mayor of a small town fondled him from when he was seven until he turned 18.

The now-retired mayor was sued in July of this year by the son of a former employee who claimed he had abused the boy for years. 
dailymail.co.uk