6 January 2020 Monday, a group of lawyers filed a lawsuit in Federal court in Washington, D.C., to declare the nation’s capital a place where men across the country would be able to sue the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) because in his time the leadership of this organization did not protect them from sexual abuse by scout masters and other leaders.
Eight plaintiffs in this lawsuit, identified as «John Does 1 through 8», live in States where statutes of limitation do not allow them to sue the BSA, based on the statements about sexual abuse that occurred decades ago.
«The plaintiffs’ lawyers contend that the federal court in D.C. is an appropriate venue for Boys Scouts sexual assault lawsuits because the Boy Scouts were incorporated there in 1910 and obtained a congressional charter in 1916.» https://t.co/Jph0G3rS4l
— Dennis 🌨 this Jansen (@dennisjansen) January 7, 2020
Lawyers for the plaintiffs argued that the Federal court in Washington is the appropriate place for such trials because the BSA organization has been registered in this city in 1910 and approved by the Congress in 1916. Along with several States, including new York, new Jersey and California, the district of Columbia increased the Statute of limitations in 2019 to meet requirements similar to those contained in the submitted claim.
Boy Scouts in an email to the Associated Press said they would not comment on details of the trial. The representative of the BSA apologized «to anyone who was hurt, when I was a scout».
NEW: A new lawsuit filed against the Boy Scouts of America could open up the the floodgates for more sexual abuse victims to bring suit against the organization https://t.co/4WEsD5kpkC
— Ben Wieder (@benbwieder) January 6, 2020
Lawyers who do this claim, the representatives of the company Zuckerman Spaeder (Washington, DC ). They work closely with Abused in Scouting, a nationwide legal team that registers hundreds of Americans who want to file a lawsuit against sexual abuse in the BSA.
The lawsuit alleges that BSA knows about that among adults leaders can be pedophiles. The organization has sought to be in control of this issue by collecting a database that contains information about men accused or suspected of committing sexual crimes. But for decades, the Boy Scouts avoided public recognition of this danger.
The lawsuit States that the BSA presents the annual report to Congress, which summarizes the activities of the organization.
«However, never in 103 years of operation, the BSA did not disclose the fact that her program is «magnets» for tens of thousands of pedophiles, says in the lawsuit. — Instead, «the BSA Report to the nation» organization wrongly assessed as a Bastion of moral authority.»
«We deliberately trying to set a precedent for further submission to the national lawsuit against the Boy Scouts, said Aytan Holman, one of the lawyers of the plaintiffs. — We believe that it is legally justified».
A key element of this case is the inconsistency of the laws on limitations Statute of limitations in different States.
«If you are raped in California, unlike Texas, you have the opportunity to seek justice. But it should not depend on the vagaries of geography! said Holman. — Boy Scouts is a national organization.»
Plaintiffs in the suit reside in eight different States: Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Hawaii, Kentucky, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia.
The plaintiff is from Hawaii, Dave Henson, a 39-year-old officer of the Navy, claims that he insulted an employee of lake Dallas, Texas for 5 years, starting in 1991 when he was 11 years old.
Henson said that after years of anxiety, shame and depression, he was relieved from participation in the court process that can help victims of violence in the United States.
Without specifying any dollar figures, the lawsuit demands compensatory damages for physical and emotional injuries, and penalties and attorney fees.
BSA years is suing the men accusing the leaders of the scouts in abuse when they were children. Hundreds of new trials initiated after several States have passed laws that increase the Statute of limitations of such crimes.
Organization with headquarters in Irving, Texas, declares that it is exploring «all possible options» to pay equitable compensation to the victims who were abused when they were scouts. BSA does not exclude that can submit the bankruptcy petition.
Last month, the scouts confirmed that ranch Philmont Scout Ranch in new Mexico, will be used to provide Finance to cover the increasing insurance costs related to court proceedings regarding sexual violence.
The Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints, which over the last decades is the largest sponsor of the BSA, displays more than 400 000 of its people from the Boy Scouts and translates them into another program. For the first time since the Second world war, the number of scouts will fall below 2 million to $ 1.8 million. At the peak of popularity of the Boy Scouts in the 1970-ies in the scouts there were more than 4 million boys.
