After hundreds of sex-abuse lawsuits were lodged against the Boy Scouts of America, the organization filed for bankruptcy protection Tuesday in hopes of working out a victim compensation plan that will allow the 110-year-old organization to carry on.
The Chapter 11 filing in federal bankruptcy court spurs what could be one of the biggest bankruptcies ever seen. Lawyers seeking settlements on behalf of several thousand men who say they were molested as scouts decades ago are only now eligible to sue because of recent changes in their states’ statute-of-limitations laws.
On the local level, councils will not see any impacts.
“Just because national is filing for bankruptcy does not mean the program is going to cease to exist. Like councils are independent financially and separated from them. All our camps, summer camps, day camps are still going to continue on over the course of these upcoming years,” said Juan Alvarez, District Commissioner for the Boy Scouts of America.
Still, concerns about safety are on the minds of many parents.
“Scouting is safer now than it ever has been before,” said Alvarez.
The Boy Scouts say they have since taken new measures to ensure children stay safe. It starts out with vetting anyone who wants to participate. They begin with interviews from established leaders. They also must take mandatory youth protection training, and pass a background check.
Once approved as a scout leader, adults are banned from any one-on-one interactions. Everyone must report any abuse to law enforcement. The organization also has a volunteer screening database.
