Photo Courtesy of Huffington Post Los Angeles.
The California Supreme Court ordered the Boy Scouts of America to release confidential files that include sexual abuse allegations after the court rejected an appeal made by the organization to keep the confidentiality of their records.
The same order was released by a Santa Barbara County court last year after a former scout filed a lawsuit against a scout leader. The former scout claimed that he was molested in 2007, when he was just 13 years old. The leader was eventually convicted of felony child endangerment.
The lawsuit includes records of sexual abuse allegations from as early as 1991. The lawsuit alleges that the Scouts had created a “culture of hidden sexual abuse” by concealing the allegations. The organization has denied the claims, and has fought to keep the records confidential (Huffington Post Los Angeles).
The court encouraged the BSA to turn over the files and to aid in identifying those who were accused of abuse. The organization kept files of alleged abuse for a long time, and it is not the first time that the BSA has been ordered to release their confidential files.
Due to the increasing number of abuse in their ranks, the BSA has implemented reforms and has improved youth protection policies in recent years. The organization now conducts criminal background checks on their volunteers. Despite these new policies, more and more former scouts are filing lawsuits against scout leaders, accusing them of sexual or physical abuse.
If you, or someone you love, have been abused, please contact our office today at 888.212.0440 for a free case review.