Boy Scouts Of America Sexual Abuse Survivors Clear Up Lies And Misinformation From Mass Tort Attorneys
The Official Tort Claimants' Committee addresses the lies from the Lead Attorney of the Coalition and urges all abuse Survivors to send a powerful message to the Boy Scouts by voting 'NO' on the Plan.
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Official Tort Claimants' Committee (TCC), made up of Boy Scouts of America sexual abuse Survivors, is clearing up the lies, misinformation and scare tactics from the Coalition of Abused Scouts for Justice regarding the current proposed Modified Fifth Amended Plan of Reorganization (Plan) of the Boy Scouts of America.
A video produced by the coalition, made up of mass tort attorneys aligned with BSA, was recently released urging Survivors to go along with the Boy Scouts and its current plan. The TCC immediately responded this week with a video produced by John Humphrey and Doug Kennedy, co-chairs of the TCC and sexual abuse Survivors, outlining the truth and reality of what a 'NO' vote means.
"A 'NO' vote is not the end of the road, it's the best way for Survivors to be heard. It means we get to go back to the table, the judge will force us back into mediation and we will work on getting a better deal for Survivors," said John Humphrey, Chairman of the TCC and a Boy Scouts of America sexual abuse Survivor. "The fact is this is a lowball offer from the Boy Scouts, Local Councils, and Chartered Organizations. It is an insult to every Survivor."
The TCC was appointed by the Office of the U.S. Trustee, which is an arm of the U.S. Dept. of Justice, to represent the interests of all Boy Scouts sexual abuse Survivors. The Survivors that make up the TCC do not receive any extra funds for fighting the Boy Scouts and their allies. The TCC knows that the 82,200 known Survivors deserve better than scare tactics and historically low compensation.
"As Survivors, we have been misled and lied to our whole lives starting with the monsters that abused us," said Doug Kennedy, Vice Chairman of the TCC and a Boy Scouts of America sexual abuse Survivor. "The coalition wants to scare you into voting for the Plan that not only gives Survivors pennies on the dollar but does close to nothing to protect children today and in the future. We want a plan that gives Survivors the best possible compensation and holds BSA accountable for past abuse and any abuse that might happen in the future. We want abuse to be eliminated from the BSA. The current Plan lacks transparency and expert input on how best to protect children moving forward. We need a plan that puts an end to the secrets."
This public accountability piece is missing from this version of the Plan. The Boy Scouts should be required to release the files they hold on predators within their system so they can be evaluated and verified by third party experts. The TCC wants to see a plan where every year the Boy Scouts, a federally chartered organization, reports to Congress about its responsibility to keep children safe.
"A nonprofit corporation, like the Boy Scouts, cannot be forced into chapter 7 liquidation," said James Stang of Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones, Counsel to the TCC. "A 'NO' vote does not force Boy Scouts into chapter 7 liquidation. Instead, a 'NO' vote sends a message to the Boy Scouts of America, Local Councils, and the Coalition of Abused Scouts for Justice that a fair and equitable settlement is the only path forward. It gives us power to negotiate better settlements for all Survivors and more public accountability for the Boy Scouts."
The TCC conducts weekly town hall meetings every Thursday to educate Survivors about the Plan and the proposed settlements. This Thursday, October 28 at 8:00 PM (Eastern), Michael Johnson, former director of the Boy Scouts of America (now Scouts BSA) Youth Protection program, will join the TCC's Town Hall. Mr. Johnson recently spoke out to warn parents that children are not safe in scouting right now. He submitted a letter to Congress urging them to commence a robust Congressional investigation and hearing into the past and present child sexual abuse that exists within the Boy Scouts of America.
A full schedule of future Town Hall meetings and prior town hall transcripts and videos can be found at www.tccbsa.com.
The TCC, led by nine sexual abuse Survivors, opposes the Plan and the proposed settlements with The Hartford Insurance Company, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and Boy Scouts Local Councils because the amounts are historically low. The Local Councils are contributing a smaller fraction of what they have the ability to pay and a smaller fraction of the liability against them. All but one of the Chartered Organizations are contributing nothing towards their release from more than 40 years of sexual abuse claims, granting them complete absolution from their responsibility to compensate 82,200 childhood sexual abuse Survivors.
More information on the restructuring can be found at www.tccbsa.com.
SOURCE Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones
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