The Boy Scouts of America’s $2.46 billion settlement trust has begun sending payments to men who were abused as children by troop leaders, under a bankruptcy settlement still facing appeals from a minority group of abuse survivors, Reuters reported. The initial payments are being sent to 7,000 claimants who chose a "quick pay" option under the Boy Scouts of America's bankruptcy plan, with the first 70 claimants paid on Tuesday. Those claimants will receive $3,500 without going through the lengthier evaluation process that awaits 75,000 others who filed claims. The settlement, approved in U.S. bankruptcy court one year ago, was supported by 86% of the 82,000 men who filed abuse claims in the youth organization's bankruptcy. Retired bankruptcy judge Barbara Houser was placed in charge of managing the settlement payments when the Boy Scouts of America emerged from bankruptcy in April, and she said that her team is working to get payments out the door quickly. "We know that this day has been a long time coming for these survivors," Judge Houser said yesterday. The settlement process will take years, as Judge Houser and her team evaluate and pay claims based on factors like the severity of the alleged abuse and when and where it occurred. Individual abuse survivors are expected to receive between $3,500 to $2.7 million, depending on how their claims are assessed, according to the Boy Scouts' bankruptcy plan.
