A bankruptcy judge has set a July 29 hearing on the proposed $850 million settlement agreement the Irving, Texas-based Boy Scouts of America has with attorneys representing some 60,000 victims of child sex abuse, giving insurance companies and others who oppose it more time to weigh in, the Associated Press reported. The agreement was reached last week by attorneys for the Boy Scouts, abuse victims, local Boy Scouts councils and lawyers appointed to represent victims who might file future claims. The Boy Scouts had wanted the hearing to take place on July 20 in front of Judge Laurie Selber Silverstein, but at a status hearing she pushed the settlement hearing back to later in the month. Attorneys who represent insurance companies, thousands of other abuse victims and local scout sponsoring organizations such as churches said that they needed more time to gather information about the agreement and file objections. The Boy Scouts of America sought bankruptcy protection in February 2020, moving to halt hundreds of lawsuits by men who were molested as youngsters decades ago by scoutmasters or other leaders. The filing was intended to try to reach a global resolution of abuse claims and create a compensation fund for victims. But attorneys for the organization have been unable to reach agreement with all the parties involved in the case to allow the 111-year-old organization to continue operating.
