Boy Scouts seek bankruptcy, urge victims to step forward
February 18, 2020 1:21PM AKST
In this Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2020, photo, a statue stands outside the Boys Scouts of America headquarters in Irving, Texas. The Boy Scouts of America has filed for bankruptcy protection as it faces a barrage of new sex-abuse lawsuits. The filing Tuesday, Feb. 18, in Wilmington, Delaware, is an attempt to work out a potentially mammoth compensation plan for abuse victims that will allow the 110-year-old organization to carry on. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
The Boy Scouts of America are urging victims to come forward after the 110-year-old organization filed for bankruptcy protection in the first step toward dealing with a barrage of sexual abuse lawsuits. The Scouts plan to create a huge compensation fund for potentially thousands of men who were molested as youngsters decades ago by scoutmasters or other leaders. The bankruptcy filing puts the lawsuits on hold for now. But ultimately the Boy Scouts could be forced to sell off some of their vast property holdings, including campgrounds and hiking trails, to raise money for a victims’ fund that could top $1 billion.
