The Boy Scouts of America will establish a $2.4 billion fund for those in the organization who were victims of sexual abuse as it emerges out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the organization announced.
The funds will support about 82,500 people, and is part of a reorganization plan ordered by a court in August 2021. An insurer representing the organization said it would contribute $800 million to the fund in December 2021.
Additionally, new measures will support survivors and prevent abuse in the future, such as background checks for all staff and volunteers, mandatory youth training and a ban on one-on-one interactions with children, including in-person, online, or via texts or calls, the Boy Scouts said Wednesday.
"This is a significant milestone for the BSA as we emerge from a three-year financial restructuring process with a global resolution approved with overwhelming support of more than 85% of the survivors involved in the case," CEO Roger Mosby said.
A survivor will also have a seat on the organization's board and any allegation of abuse must be reported to law enforcement, the Boy Scouts said.
The Boy Scouts also have a 24/7 hotline (1-844-SCOUTS1) and email address for reporting suspected abuse or inappropriate behavior.
The Boy Scouts of America, based in Irving, Texas, sought bankruptcy protection in February 2020 in an effort to halt hundreds of individual lawsuits and create a compensation fund for thousands of men who were molested as youngsters by scoutmasters or other leaders.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
