About 7,300 men who say the Boy Scouts of America failed to protect them from sexual predators are waiting to hear whether they can participate in talks aimed at calculating how much the organization must pay in a settlement, WSJ Pro Bankruptcy reported. Judge Laurie Selber Silverstein said she was likely to issue a decision this week on the matter, a controversy that erupted as the bankruptcy case the Boy Scouts initiated in February reaches a crucial phase. The men are part of an informal group represented by a collection of law firms calling itself the Coalition of Abused Scouts for Justice. An official committee that speaks for all those with sexual-abuse claims is already taking part in negotiations with the Boy Scouts, and the informal group wants to join in as well. Claims are still coming in, but lawyers say the Boy Scouts could ultimately face accusations from tens of thousands of men. Mediation has been going on for months in the bankruptcy case, which halted the hundreds of sex-abuse lawsuits the organization already faced. The group asking to join the talks is an informal committee like those that typically play roles in major bankruptcy cases, negotiating on behalf of groups of bondholders or shareholders. Members include about 7,300 people who have formally authorized their attorneys to participate, Sunni Beville, a lawyer representing the coalition, said during a hearing yesterday in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, Del.
