Boy scout sash with badges
02/18/20

Boy Scouts Seek Bankruptcy to Survive a Deluge of Sex-Abuse Claims

The nonprofit group, which counts more than two million youth participants, follows Catholic dioceses and U.S.A. Gymnastics in seeking bankruptcy protection amid sex-abuse cases.

Hoping to contain a deluge of sexual-abuse lawsuits, the Boy Scouts of America took shelter in bankruptcy court on Tuesday, filing for Chapter 11 protection that will let the group keep operating while it grapples with questions about the future of the century-old Scouting movement.

The bankruptcy filing was made by the national organization, and does not involve the local councils that run day-to-day programs. Even so, the case sets up what may be one of the most complex financial restructurings in American history. Thousands of people have already come forward with allegations that they were abused as scouts, and many more are expected to do so.

View news article Opens in a new window