Chicago Boy Scout Sexual Abuse Lawyer

For decades, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) has been considered a trusted institution where young men can develop life skills and an appreciation for nature. However, that perception of trustworthiness hid a dark truth.

Over the past few decades, it’s become clear that the Boy Scouts of America failed to prevent children from being preyed upon by pedophiles working within the organization, despite repeated reports of inappropriate behavior.

Today, survivors are coming forward about the sexual abuse they endured from troop leaders and other staff members. In fact, so many have come forward that the organization declared bankruptcy in the face of countless lawsuits. Thankfully, victims can still win compensation from the substantial trust that the Boy Scouts established before going bankrupt.

At Lane Brown, LLC, we have committed to helping survivors and parents of survivors obtain the compensation they’re entitled to in civil suits. If you or a loved one were abused while participating in the Scouts, a Chicago Boy Scout sexual abuse lawyer at our firm can help you obtain justice and financial compensation for the damages you’ve suffered.

Speak Confidentially With a Survivors’ Attorney

• The History of Sexual Abuse Within the Boy Scouts of America
• Types of Compensation You Can Receive
• Signs of Sexual Abuse
• How a Boy Scout Sexual Abuse Attorney Can Help Your Case
• Areas We Serve
• Reach Out to a Chicago Boy Scout Sexual Abuse Attorney
• Boy Scout Sexual Abuse Lawyer FAQ

The History of Sexual Abuse Within the Boy Scouts of America

Since the early 1900s, the Boy Scouts of America has kept a record of former adult volunteers deemed ineligible to volunteer for a particular troop. These records, often called the “ineligible volunteer files” or “perversion files,” provided undeniable proof of sexual misconduct perpetrated by volunteers and were kept hidden from the public until 2012.

Over the many decades when this file system was maintained, the Boy Scouts labeled roughly 1,000 Boy Scout leaders as “degenerate types,” which was their shorthand for pedophiles. These incidents, despite being of a criminal nature, were rarely reported to the police. Even worse, many of these Scout leaders were hastily moved to other troops, where they continued to sexually abuse boys.

In 2012, a judge ordered the public release of the ineligible volunteer files and any internal communications related to them. This release clearly showed that the Boy Scouts of America not only knew that pedophiles were serving as volunteers but also that they willfully chose not to share that information with authorities. Ultimately, this has made them liable for thousands of instances of abuse.

While the crimes that were covered up and hidden on the ineligible volunteers list are horrific, the release of this list has had at least one positive effect. Now that victims have access to the files, they can find the name of their abuser and hire a Boy Scout sexual abuse attorney to hold the organization financially accountable for the suffering it’s caused.

Thousands of victims have already taken legal action against the Boy Scouts, and in February 2020, the organization filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to manage the cost of the lawsuits. As part of the bankruptcy plan, the Boy Scouts of America (now called Scouting America) established a $2.4 billion settlement fund to compensate sexual abuse victims.

Hold Scouting America Accountable for Abuse

Types of Compensation You Can Receive

The impacts of child sexual abuse can last a lifetime, and both victims and their families deserve compensation for their damages. When you work with a Boy Scout sexual abuse lawyer, they’ll push to have the following damages included in your total compensation:

• Medical expenses – Victims of sexual abuse can have any medical expenses related to the crime covered by their total compensation. This includes hospital bills, counseling costs, prescription medications, and more.
• General expenses – Sexual abuse can force families to relocate or change schools, which can prove extremely expensive. The money that a family has to spend to distance their child from an abuser can be included in their compensation.
• Non-economic damages – Victims can get compensated for the trauma they face after being abused. This category can even be made to include payments for the social and emotional impacts a family faces after abuse takes place.
• Punitive damages – Because the Boy Scouts have covered up hundreds of horrific instances of sexual abuse, courts can decide to add punitive damages to their court-ordered payment. These damages are designed to disincentivize organizations from hiding sexual crimes in the future.

We Will Pursue Full Compensation for Abuse

Signs of Sexual Abuse

If you are the parent of a current or former Boy Scout and suspect that your child may have been abused, keep an eye out for these signs:

• Bursts of anger
• Withdrawing
• Inappropriate behavior
• Adult sexual knowledge inappropriate for age level
• Engaging in self-harm
• Problems in school, such as failing grades or acting out
• Age regression

Noticing just one of these behaviors isn’t always cause for concern, but a child who is exhibiting multiple warning signs of sexual abuse may need your help. You can start by reaching out to the Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center, which works with individuals who are skilled at assessing possible sexual abuse.

If sexual abuse has been identified, remain calm while you remove them from where the abuse is taking place. Next, consider enrolling your child in therapy, where he can open up about what he has been through. You should also report your findings to law enforcement officials, who can open up an investigation to bring your child’s abuser to justice.

Once that investigation reveals evidence of abuse, reach out to a Boy Scout sexual abuse lawyer to start pursuing compensation for the harm caused to your child.

Get Legal Help for Your Child’s Case

How a Boy Scout Sexual Abuse Attorney Can Help Your Case

When you hire a Boy Scout sexual abuse attorney from Lane Brown, LLC, they’ll immediately start gathering evidence proving the abuse. One of the key pieces of evidence we rely on in these cases is the ineligible volunteer file. If we’re able to locate the name of the Boy Scout leader who abused you or your child within the file, that strengthens your case immensely, as it proves both the facts of the case and that the Boy Scouts knew about the abuse.

After we’ve gathered enough evidence, we create a list of the damages your family has suffered as a result of the abuse. During this step, we’ll reach out to you and ask for items like receipts and treatment records. We’ll also sit down with you and have a compassionate conversation about the emotional toll the experience has had on your family. The mental and emotional hardships you’ve faced are just as serious as physical harm, and we intend to hold your abuser accountable for all of those damages so you can finally get the justice you deserve.

Finally, we’ll take that detailed list of damages and any evidence we’ve gathered to a judge. They’ll hear our arguments and those of the defense before deciding on how much compensation you’re owed.

Throughout this entire process, our team will handle your case with kindness and compassion. We’ve handled hundreds of child sexual abuse cases and know how difficult they can be for parents and children. Our Boy Scout sexual abuse lawyers will do their best to minimize the number of interviews we have with you or your child and will try to limit the amount of time your family spends in court with the abuser.

Additionally, we strongly believe that no family should be put in a financially difficult situation just because they wanted to seek justice. That’s why our attorneys work on contingency, so you don’t have to pay a cent until we win your case. And once we win, our fee is a percentage of your compensation, not something you need to pay out of pocket.

Let Our Attorneys Build Your Case

Providing Compassionate Legal Support in Chicago and Across Illinois

Reach Out to a Chicago Boy Scout Sexual Abuse Attorney

Once it’s been established that your child was the victim of sexual abuse tied to the Boy Scouts of America, a Lane Brown, LLC attorney can help you move forward in a civil suit against the organization for failing to put a stop to this abuse. We’ll also do everything we can to hold the perpetrator accountable in civil court.

You deserve justice for the abuse you’ve faced, and our compassionate Chicago Boy Scout sexual abuse lawyers are ready to hold your abuser accountable. Schedule a free, confidential consultation with us today or give us a call directly at 312-332-1400. We are available 24/7, including nights, weekends, and holidays, to speak with victims and their families. We understand that this is a sensitive and painful experience, and will do everything possible to accommodate your comfort. We offer video consultations and can even travel to you if necessary.

Boy Scout Sexual Abuse Lawyer FAQ

How can I sue the Boy Scouts even though they declared bankruptcy?

You can still win compensation for being sexually abused by the Boy Scouts of America even though they have declared bankruptcy. In 2020, when the Boy Scouts of America officially filed for bankruptcy, the court required the BSA to create a $2.4 billion Victims Compensation Trust. This trust continues to pay out settlements to sexual abuse victims, even though the Boy Scouts of America no longer exists.

While much of the fund was designed to go to victims who had already filed a claim, there are still ways to recover compensation from the Victims Compensation Trust. To do so, you need to file a claim through the Scouting Settlement Trust with the help of an attorney.

When you file that claim, you must include a detailed account of your experience and the impacts it caused. This account will be used to determine the total amount of compensation you can receive. It’s best to create this statement with help from an attorney, as they know which factors in your statement will affect your total compensation.

After crafting the statement, you can submit it online through the Scouting Settlement Trust website or mail it to the trust organization. Here’s a step-by-step guide detailing how to get compensation from the Boy Scouts of America even after they’ve gone bankrupt:

1. Reach out to a Boy Scout sexual abuse lawyer who can help you file your claim.
2. Share basic background information about your time in the Boy Scouts with your attorney.
3. Collect records that support your claim, such as school attendance records, emails, or text messages.
4. Work with your attorney to complete the Trust’s Claims Questionnaire.
5. Draft a detailed impact statement for your lawyer to review.
6. Submit the impact statement either through the online portal or via mail.
7. Monitor your claim’s status with help from your attorney.
8. Respond to any requests from the trust organization promptly.
9. Review the compensation determination once it is delivered. Your lawyer will explain what it means and what options you have if you disagree.
10. Finalize payment and attorney’s fees once your case has concluded.

Contact Our Chicago Boy Scout Sexual Abuse Lawyers Today