ARIZONA, USA — Editors note: The video above is from the 6 p.m. broadcast on Dec. 22 regarding eight different suits against the Boy Scouts of America.
More than 200 men have filed complaints in the state of Arizona against the Boy Scouts of America national and local chapters for alleged sexual abuse they experienced as children.
The allegations reflected in four lawsuits filed in the Superior Court of Maricopa County on Tuesday followed eight lawsuits filed on Dec. 21 and seven filed against the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in connection with Boy Scouts on Monday.
The lawsuits name the Grand Canyon Council, Catalina Council, the Las Vegas Area Council and the Crossroads of the West Council of Boy Scouts of America as defendants.
All together, 261 "John Does" have brought claims against the Arizona based chapters about different incidences of assault in the four latest suits.
Many of the complaints originate when the men were between the ages of 6 and 18-years-old. A majority were aged between 11 and 12-years-old.
The John Does recount abuse at the hands of scout leaders, scout masters, camp personnel and other scouts both inside and outside the victims' troops. In some of the allegations, the men say multiple leaders abused them.
The suits state that the councils were either aware of or should have been aware of the dangers toward children at the hands of volunteers. They also state that the councils, "held out Scouting as a safe and wholesome activities and encouraged Plaintiffs (and their families) to entrust Plaintiff's health, safety and well-being to Scouting leaders in connection with all Scouting-related activities".
In May 2019, the Arizona legislature passed A.R.S. § 12-514, which opened a space in the state's statute of limitations enabling people who suffered sexual abuse as children in certain scenarios to file suits until Dec. 31.
The Arizona cases raised against the Boy Scouts of America join 90,000 raised nationwide, according to the Associated Press.
Andy Price, Boy Scout Executive and CEO of the Grand Canyon Council released a statement last week on allegations against the organization saying:
"First and foremost, we care deeply about all victims of child abuse and sincerely apologize to anyone who was harmed during their time in Scouting. We are outraged that there have been times when individuals took advantage of our program to abuse innocent children. We believe victims, we support them, we pay for counseling by a provider of their choice and we encourage them to come forward. It is the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) policy that all incidents of suspected abuse are reported to law enforcement.
The Boy Scouts of America is committed to fulfilling our social and moral responsibility to equitably compensate victims who suffered abuse during their time in Scouting, while also ensuring that we carry out our mission to serve youth, families and local communities for years to come. In order to meet these dual objectives, the national organization has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Our plan is to use this Chapter 11 process to create a Trust that would provide equitable compensation to victims. Scouting will continue throughout this process and for many years to come.
The BSA also has a multi-layered process of safeguards informed by experts, including the following, all of which act as barriers to abuse: a leadership policy that requires at least two youth-protection trained adults be present with youth at all times and bans one-on-one situations where adults would have any interactions alone with children – either in person, online, or via text; a thorough screening process for adult leaders and staff including criminal background checks, and the prompt mandatory reporting of any allegation or suspicion of abuse. It is also BSA policy to remove individuals based on only allegations of inappropriate behavior. The BSA offers a 24/7 Scouts First Helpline (1-844-SCOUTS1) and email contact address (scouts1st@scouting.org) for help reporting suspected abuse or inappropriate behavior and to request funding for in-person counseling.
In addition, the BSA has partnered with 1in6, a trusted national resource for male survivors, to meaningfully expand its online services so that more men who suffered abuse while in Scouting can access vital, anonymous support from trained advocates when and how they need it. Victims can access these services at www.1in6.org/BSA.
For more information about the BSA’s youth protection policies, our commitment to supporting victims, and our efforts to be part of the broader solution to child abuse, please visit: www.scouting.org/youth-safety. "
The suits demands jury trials.