Fifty-two former New Jersey Boy Scout troop leaders who allegedly sexually abused boys in their care were named recently by law firms seeking to hold the responsible parties accountable and shed light on the systemic sexual abuse found within the Boy Scouts of America organization.

Boy Scouts Abusers’ Names are Released

On April 23, 2019, a report released the list of 52 accused New Jersey Boy Scout troop leaders. These names come from a list of more than 7,000 accused sexual abusers connected to the Boy Scouts of America, according to the pair of law firms. The firms, hired by victims of Boy Scout troop leaders, additionally claim that more than 12,000 victims have been affected by these abusers.

The law firms initially demanded that the Boy Scouts of America be the ones who release the identities, background information, and files on all New Jersey abusers associated with their organization. Some say that the Boy Scouts should be the ones releasing these details as soon as they learn about possible abuse.

The names in the released list come from publicly available sources including court records, lawsuits, and press releases. The reports of abuse allegedly date back as far as the 1920s.

Boy Scouts’ Ineligible Volunteers Files

According to chief scout executive Michael Surbaugh, the Boy Scouts developed a safety and protection system to remove leaders suspected of sexual abuse. This system lists suspected abusers in what are known as the “Ineligible Volunteers Files”.

The Boy Scouts claim that the organization has turned over all of their full and unredacted files on abuse to law enforcement, and every case of suspected abuse from the past 50 years has been reported. However, the lawyers representing the victims claim that the organization has not disclosed the full scope of the allegations against their troop leaders.

New Jersey Sexual Abuse Laws

New Jersey legislators recently passed a law regarding the statute of limitations for childhood victims of sexual abuse to file lawsuits against their abusers. Under the new laws, victims who were abused as children have until age 55 to file lawsuits against the individuals or institutions responsible.

Additionally, adult victims will be allowed to file lawsuits for seven years after their initial realization that the abuse they suffered has led to mental or emotional health problems. Finally, the laws have opened a two-year window for victims whose cases have expired to open lawsuits against their abusers.

Similar bills have been proposed in Pennsylvania and signed into law in New York.

If you or a loved one has been the victim of childhood sexual abuse by a Boy Scouts troop leader or other adult affiliated with the organization in New Jersey, there may still be time for you to pursue compensation and accountability from the responsible party. Victims of abuse may be able to hire an attorney and recover compensation for their pain and suffering, as well as holding their abusers accountable.

Join a Free New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania Sexual Assault Lawsuit Investigation

If you suffered sexual abuse as a child in either New Jersey, New York or Pennsylvania by someone at a public or private institution, legal help is available. Fill out the free form on this page for more information.

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This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.