The Boy Scouts of America has agreed to an $850 million settlement with lawyers representing around 60,000 former scouts who say they were sexually abused by leaders of the youth organization, The Associated Press reported.
The settlement is “one of the largest sums in U.S. history involving cases of sexual abuse,” according to the AP.
- In early 2020, the Boy Scouts filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in hopes of finding a way to settle the hundreds of sexual assault lawsuits, without also totally disbanding the century-old organization, the AP reported at the time.
- The large settlement is more than twice what the Boy Scouts had initially offered, National Public Radio reported.
Representatives of the alleged victims don’t totally agree on settlement
Representatives had mixed things to say about the agreement, with one noting that a judge had not yet approved the settlement, reported NPR.
- “I am pleased that both the BSA and their local councils have stepped up to be the first to compensate the survivors,” Ken Rothweiler, a negotiator for the men who alleged they’d been sexually abused while in the Boy Scouts, said in a statement to NPR.
- Attorney Tom Kosnoff told NPR that he didn’t know how the settlement could be considered as anything other than a “failure.” “I would say it is a nonstarter, and if my clients asked me if I thought it was a good deal for them I would say no,” Kosnoff said.
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According to the AP, the Boy Scouts also acknowledged that there are lingering disagreements between the victims’ attorneys and its own insurers over the settlement.
- A court hearing for the case has been scheduled for July 20, reported the AP.