A pair of child sex abuses against the Boy Scouts have been filed under the Child Victims Act in New York’s Chautauqua County, according to a recent report by the Observer. The Child Victims Act is a law allowing survivors of sexual abuse sue their abusers even in cases where the statute of limitation has passed.
The Observer reports that one of the two cases names as defendants the “Allegheny Highlands Council Boy Scouts of America, the Greater Niagara Frontier Council Boy Scouts of America, Portland Congregational Church and Tri County Parish in Brocton.” The plaintiff alleges that from 1972 to 1978, a Boy Scouts leader and “volunteer” sexually abused the plaintiff, who was 9 years old in 1972. The lawsuit alleges that the abuse occurred on property that was “owned, operated or controlled” by the four parties named as defendants. The Portland Congregational Church and Tri County Parish allegedly operated the Boy Scout troupes under charter agreements they had with the organization.
The lawsuit, quoted by the Observer, states in part: “The sexual abuse by the defendants’ Scout leader and volunteer, [Calvin] Fisher, occurred during activities that were sponsored by the defendants, or directly as a result of activities that were sponsored by the defendants, including, but not limited to, scout camping trips and scout meetings.”
The second child sexual abuse case filed in Chautauqua County alleges that a scout leader abused the plaintiff from 1976 to 1983, starting when the plaintiff was eight years old. This lawsuit names as defendants Prospect Avenue PTO in Salamanca, New York and the Allegheny Highlands Council of the Boy Scouts.
The Boy Scouts of America are currently undergoing bankruptcy proceedings that involve child sex abuse claims by more than 60,000 former members. The organization recently reached an agreement with representatives for the former scouts that would establish an $850 million compensation fund for the victims. The settlement agreement has not yet been approved by the bankruptcy court.
More information on the child sex abuse lawsuits filed against the Allegheny Highlands Boy Scouts and other parties is available via the Observer.
Contact our attorneys to discuss your sexual abuse claim against the Boy Scouts of America.
