As read in the Chicago Tribune, a Boy Scout leader that had been banned in one state, returned to scouting in another, and is now accused in a lawsuit of molesting a scout. Both the Boy Scouts of America and the Chicago Area Council are named as defendants for allegedly withholding the knowledge of the leader's assault record and allowing him to continue to mentor teen boys.
The victim, named as Jon Doe in the lawsuit, was 10 years old at the time of the alleged abuse. The suit comes on the heels of newly released files – that attest to over 1,200 cases of child abuse by scoutmasters and other volunteers in the Boy Scouts of America.
Doe names former scout leader T.H. as his abuser.
In 1989 T.H. was convicted for sexually assaulting three boys in the south suburbs.
The suit states that T.H. was molesting scouts, with the organization's knowledge, as early as 1970. However, the organization failed to prevent him from volunteering in an Illinois branch of the Boy Scouts of America.
It was while T.H. volunteered for the group in Illinois in 1995 that he allegedly met and molested Doe.
The suit states that Doe "discovered that he was repressing the memories of his abuse" after he learned about the files. And that "routine occasions during, before or after various scouting activities", T.H. abused Doe.
Chris Hurley, Doe's attorney, stated, "What the scout and his parents didn't know, and couldn't have known, was that his scoutmaster was already a convicted pedophile who had been banned from scouting in Indiana…Unfortunately, once removed, many of them managed to sneak back in and continue victimizing boys."
The files detail that T.H. was removed from the Indiana-based scouts only to move into the Northwest Suburban Council in Illinois as a leader less than a year later.
Hurley added, "By late 1971, the Boy Scouts of America learned that (T.H.) had again been arrested on charges of taking indecent liberties with a child…Yet sure enough, (T.H.) resurfaced as a committee chairman and scoutmaster in the Chicago Area Council in 1983 or 1984. Mr. (T.H.) gained access to many young boys and began molesting children within the council."
According to the lawsuit, the victim Doe "has been psychologically damaged and continues to be damaged psychologically and to experience mental anguish, humiliation and emotional and physical pain, suffering and distress."
The Boy Scouts of America spokesman, Deron Smith, wrote in a statement, "Any instance of child victimization or abuse is intolerable and unacceptable. While we have not seen this lawsuit, we deeply regret that there have been times when scouts were abused, and for that we are very sorry and extend our deepest sympathies to victims."
Deron also added that the organization now does "background checks, comprehensive training programs and safety policies, like requiring all members to report even suspicions of abuse directly to local law enforcement."
The files are formally called the "Ineligible Volunteer Files", however, Boy Scout officials allegedly refer to then as "the perversion files."
If you have been hurt by an organization's representative you have grounds for a lawsuit. Contact a personal injury lawyer today for help!