This full article originally appeared in the Chicago Tribune on March 10, 2020.
If you’re wondering how an organization with millions of dollars in assets and revenue can go bankrupt, just ask Hurley McKenna & Mertz attorney Chris Hurley.
Since its founding in 1910, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) organization has collected annual fees from active members and volunteers. In addition to fees, the organization makes a profit for all trademarked badges, uniforms, and products sold.
So, how could it go bankrupt?
For years, the organization has negligently accepted pedophiles as Boy Scout leaders, while intentionally hiding reports of abuse from law enforcement authorities.
Chris Hurley has experience representing 18 men who contend they were repeatedly molested by their scoutmaster in the 1980s.
That scoutmaster, Thomas Hacker, confessed to molesting hundreds of 10- to 14-year-old Boy Scouts—many of them repeatedly.
In a recent opinion piece, Chris shares:
“The Boy Scouts of American started down the road to bankruptcy many years ago. It is the result of decades of denial and cover-ups by the leaders of an institution that chose to protect itself at the expense of the children it was entrusted to serve. The Boy Scouts of America may have filed for bankruptcy in February 2020, but the downfall of the organization began the first time it enabled a pedophile to ruin a child’s life.”
For access to the full article, click here.
Contact Us Immediately to Seek Justice Against the Boy Scouts
If you have suffered abuse at the hands of a BSA leader, or any other official or member of the organization, it’s crucial that you act as soon as possible. At Hurley McKenna & Mertz, we represent hundreds of individuals who were victims of abuse while in Boy Scouts. We understand taking action isn’t always easy, but we can help you get the compensation you deserve. Contact us immediately for a free consultation.
