'We are outraged that there have been times when individuals took advantage of our programs to harm innocent children. 'The BSA cares deeply about all victims of abuse and sincerely apologises to anyone who was harmed during their time in Scouting,' said Roger Mosby, President and Chief Executive Officer. Many of the lawsuits have been made possible by recent changes in state laws to allow people to sue over long-ago sex abuse.īankruptcy will enable the BSA to put the cases on hold for now and continue operating - for, what it hopes will be, years to come - as it strives to 'compensate victims who were harmed during their time in Scouting'. Scores of men are seeking settlements, claiming to have been molested as youngsters decades ago by scoutmasters, leaders and other scouts. FOUNDED in 1910, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) has been a pillar of American civic life for generations.īut this week, the historic organisation announced it had filed for bankruptcy protection in the first step toward creating a massive compensation fund for potentially thousands of sex abuse victims.
