Survivors of Scouting sexual abuse in Montana Join Together to Hold the BSA Accountable

Across the country, men claiming they were sexually abused while in Scouting programs are filing lawsuits against the Boy Scouts of America. These men claim that the BSA neglected to protect children from sexual predators within the organization and even covered the tracks of alleged predators.

Now, over a dozen men from Montana have joined the fight and teamed up with Abused in Scouting, a movement of Scouting survivors seeking to hold the BSA accountable for their crimes. The Billings Gazette reports 15 Montanans have stepped forward through Abused in Scouting (AIS), each claiming they were abused while in Scouting programs in Montana.

Andrew Van Arsdale, one of three attorneys leading the Abused in Scouting movement, says they are waiting on a pending discussion with the BSA to see if they can work towards recovery for the hundreds of Scouting survivors who have joined with AIS.

“The BSA is trying to have discussions with us beforehand, and it’s in our best interest to hear them out and not let them waste their resources on defense lawyers, which ultimately hurts our clients and chance of recovery,” Arsdale told the Gazette, saying that he wouldn’t call it a settlement, and that monetary compensation has been discussed yet. 

To read the Gazette’s full story, click here.