The Boy Scouts of America defended its record of protecting children, a day after lawyers published the names of alleged sexual abusers and called on all victims to come forward, the Wall Street Journal reported. Across the U.S., victims of childhood sexual abuse are preparing lawsuits against the youth organization as some states think about making changes to the statute of limitations. News that the organization may file for bankruptcy protection has also triggered interest in litigation, lawyers said. A bankruptcy filing would temporarily halt lawsuits, creating an impetus for some victims to move forward with litigation now. “People said, ‘If these windows are opening and there is a possibility for bankruptcy, I got to bring my claim now. I can’t sit around anymore,’” said Gilion Dumas, an attorney who represents victims of sexual abuse. She said more than a dozen victims from California have recently hired her to sue the Boy Scouts. States including California and Pennsylvania are thinking about following New York and New Jersey, which recently passed legislation that creates temporary windows allowing sexual-assault lawsuits regardless of when the alleged abuse occurred and other expansions to the statute of limitations. The Boy Scouts have been at the center of sexual-abuse scandals in the past, and the organization is facing a number of lawsuits that allege inappropriate conduct by employees or volunteers in incidents dating back as far as the 1960s.
