Boy Scouts Lawsuit Opens Secret Files

Released To Attorney Representing Brothers In Sex Abuse Suit Against Scouts & Former Troop Leader

(CBS)  Matt Stewart blames the Boy Scouts of America for his lost childhood.

"The first time I was molested was at the age of either six or seven," Stewart told CBS News Correspondent Sandra Hughes. "I was molested all the way up until I was 18 years old."

Stewart and his brother Tom were sexually abused by their assistant Scout master.

"The nightmares are still very real, even 25 to 30 years later," Matt said.

Former troop leader Bruce Phelps admitted under oath to having sexual contact with one and then the other.

As part of a lawsuit against Phelps and the Boy Scouts of America, the Stewarts' attorney, Tim Kosnoff, got an unprecedented look inside thousands of secret files through 2005.

"I was blown away," Kosnoff said. "It was staggering."

Kosnoff analyzed the numbers and came to this shocking conclusion: Before 1991, "a Scout leader was being tossed out for child molestation at the rate of one every three days," he said. "Post-1991, the rate was one every two days." That includes people suspected of abuse.

The Boy Scouts of America would not confirm how many troop leaders it has had to dismiss, but released a statement saying, "The total number of individuals in the file is an extremely small percentage of the tens of millions who have served in BSA since 1910."

Criminal background checks are now required for Scout leaders, and adults are prohibited from being alone with a child.

The organization claims its child abuse prevention program is the best in the country. However, in 2005 the man who ran that program, Douglas Smith Jr., was sentenced to eight years in federal prison for trafficking in child pornography on the Internet.

"The Boy Scouts of America is not a safe place for your boy," Matt Stewart said.

These days the entire first chapter of the Boy Scout handbook is dedicated to child abuse prevention. In it, children and parents are told that although Boy Scout law may emphasize obedience, if an adult asks a scout to do something uncomfortable, that's a rule that's OK to break.

[larsonfamil1]

i think you are rediculous boyscouts is a very good thing for kids it helps them a lot in all sorts of sitsuations and it helps them to get prepared for life and to help them survive in the wild just because you didnt like it dosent mean that you have to say that it is a bad thang and that your kids shouldnt do it because if you were to look around you, you would see that they actually do a lot to help your camunnity and they are not bad at all i dont see any other groups in my cammunnity that helps my camunnity!!!!!!!!! and its not the boyscouts that are bad it is the leaders who lead it, it really disapoints me for you to say that it is a bad thing for kids to do because i am a kid and i have learned a lot through boyscouts and it has really helped me it helps otheres so i think you are just being realy stupid saying that boyscouts is bad for kids because it is GOOD!!!!!!

[scout01971]

Child abuse is terrible in any situation. And I know it hurts any organization. But, Scouting does do a lot more good than harm. Look at how many success stories it has and more will come.
CBS should now do a segment on the merits and successes of Scouting. It is a wonderful organization that will continue to have great gains.

[jkhagemann]

Doesn''t suprise me at all. I''ll bet they were all "Outstanding Christians" in their community. Church every Sunday, probably ushers and elders as well. I don''t know... I think those raised as "American" Christians seem to have so many sexual hang-ups.

[nyckate]

Scout01971 - there are a lot of great leaders - they are also dangerous ones - and the scouts were wrong to keep covering up for the child molesters. These child molestors probably also joined community CYO or Church groups -- anything that gve them access to the kids.

If the parents knew about these guys they wouldn''t let them within a mile of their kid s- but the scouts helped keep them undercover.

[bobgee_1999]

larsonfamil1: Apparently Boyscouts didn''t teach you anything useful about writing coherently.

Anyway, I guess it''s clear now why Scouts discriminate against ***, isn''t it? They want to eliminate the competition.

[donbl1]

There are thousands of law suits every day in America for thousands of different offenses.

This incident neither condemns the entire Boy Scouts nor does it say it is prevalent throughout the BSA. It does say why BSA trys to control the entry of gay or pedophiles into BSA volunteers.

If the Catholic Church had been so motivated, they would not have had the problems of the last 15 years.

[thatchmo62]

The Boysouts is a great organization. I have three sons in scouts and they''ve learned a lot of skills and have had a great time with all of the supervised activities. Unfortunately, it''s difficult to have a 100% success rate at screening out the badguys from any organization. That being said, for these two to sue 25 to 30 years after the fact seems to be because of all of the succesful lawsuits against the Catholic church for their failures. Now you''ll probably have oportunistic lawyers seeking out more "victims" to enrich themselves and hurt a very positive organization like the Boyscouts.

[a1bamaman]

To all who have written about this story. It is a tragedy what happened to those two men as a youth but your not a boy scout at the ages of 6-11. They were Cub Scouts.
I am proud to be a leader for my sons and the youth of my community. I have been in the scouting family for 7 years now and I love to teach and pass on the knowledge I was given by my family and life experiences.
The Scouting program is the only program I know that has put more honorable in places most have not been. For example, the space program has 12 out of 13 astronauts that are eagle scouts, President Gerald Ford was an Eagle Scout, and many more men in this country are eagle scouts( firemen, police officers,etc.). You just don''t know until you ask.
Now , my question to those who want to critize the program, where is another program that has done any better or can compare to the BSA?

[mcv57]

Hmmmmmm, think about it. First the Catholic Church *** scandels, GOP Senate *** scandels, now the Boys Scouts. The only reason we have not heard anything about the U.S. law enforcement agencies is because they have the best CORRUPTION policy . . . care to name it?

[ag9265]

My son was abused by his employer, he owned a night club for teens. I can truely understand the torment these two men have gone thru , I know first hand the damage it did to my son. I am sorry but a red flag should come up or it does for me now when ANY Grown Man wants to be alone with a yound boy or teen. I know of this man thats in his late50''s and he is never been married and has no children, but I hear stories how he goes on these trips with the scouts, well let me tell you, I have a grandson and I would never alow him to go anywhere with this guy. People need to questions why? I sure wish I would have 12 Years ago, but the signs were there, and when your child all of a sudden looses interest and say I dont want to go anymore, don''t push them, it may be that theres a real good reason why!!!

[dana417]

Men = Dogs

I was a Mommy Den Leader for years and we loved it.

Mom''s don''t DO this sota stuff.

What is wrong with men these days?

Too much porno, viagra, liquor, drugs?

EH?

[zorlacskates]

yea, those stupid "victims" of methodical, calculated and preventable sexual abuse! how dare they complain! shame on cbs for tainting the boyscout organization by reporting this story. let''s all pretend like we didn''t read this, deal? if we pretend like nothing is wrong then the problem goes away.

[cyberdjs4]

Sounds like Dana417 is a "Man Hater".
Maybe she was molested herself.

Real men know right from wrong.

She should associate with a better class of man and free your hate before somebody gets hurt.

[franklinnj]

I''m sorry that this happened to these 2 men BUT I am also tired of the media taking cheap shots at the good things that are going on in this country.
I am a Scout leader since 1994 and I believe in the program. It is a program that represents the goodness in this country and if you ever took a survey of adult males, you''ll find out that a majority of them were in some part of the Scouting program. Like the Catholic church, which I am also a member, you hear about the priests that abused BUT you don''t hear about all the missions that they continue to support for the poor and unfortunate.
How about writing a story about how the LDS church is taking over Scouting and pushing out the other religions from the program?
Did you know that when the Boy Scouts of America were introduced at the 2007 World Jamboree, the Scouts addressed themselves as the Boy Scouts of the LDS (Mormons)? I think that is more dangerous.

[missingamerica]

I was a Boy Scout; guess I had straight troop leaders because the only thing that messed with my butt was that "Hunter Stew". Have to find that recipe someday; it was awful good even if it did teach me an awful lot about latrine digging.

[hypnotoad72]

I was molested by my phy ed teacher. I was sexually assaulted by a girl in a church. A ''friend'' told me what he was doing was okay.

No, it wasn''t.

None of it was.

And for all the jive talk that victimized people in turn victimize others in the same way, I''m not out there in bathroom stalls, looking for one night stands, spreading diseases, or anything else and I sure as heck wouldn''t cheat on a wife. It''s sad some people do.

It''s not the emotion or the feeling. It''s what you do with it. Men CAN keep their willies zipped up. Many just choose what people say is "simply nature". Bull. People needn''t be promiscuous or anything else.

[mitywhity]

I was molested when I was 5 by a 16 year-old hippie bi+ch. This went on for a year I guess. Her sorry-a$$ed mom even walked in on her and left when the hippie bi ch screamed at her. After that I was so shy in every situation and talk about confusion over how to relate to girls! I know the hippie bi ches name and I could find her and ruin her maybe, but I''d rather move on. I hope all these scout-molesters get their a$$es handed to them and BSA also if they are guilty of suppressing information. To any perv who is reading this, leave the kids alone! Let them grow up after their childhood! Hell awaits you if you don''t!!

[mkkfrogt821]

i do feel very bad for the two boys that were molested. i am a scout leader, i have been for 9 years. its a great program for boys ,i sorry that they were molested but dont say that boys should not be in scouts.there has been a lot of famous men that were scouts and achieved there eagle! i love the program. they have background checks of each leader and the boys and adults have to go though sexual abuse training. THIS IS A GREAT PROGRAM!!

[itgranny]

I quit doing anything to support boy scouts when they stopped letting *** be scout masters. Gay and pediphile are 2 different things. There are other things out there such as 4H that are just as good for kids. Boy Scouts don''t own the market on good organizations for kids.

[emmasgma]

IF these two boys were molested then I am sorry. Boy Scouts are for age 11,not 6 or 7. When Matt Stewart was 6 there were no Tiger Cub Programs. The article said that Former Troop Leader(Boy Scouts)Phelps had contact with one and then the other boy, are we talking about the same boys? Did Sandra Hughes do her homework? Did she even LOOK at a Boy Scout book? Because as Scout leaders my husband and I have read these books and neitherof us can find anywhere in these materials or any other BSA materials where it says that it is OK for a boy to go along with a leader doing ANYTHING that makes him uncomfortable! As an honorable leader I feel slandered by CBS NEWS.Futher more IF as Tim Kosnoff has proclaimed that he was given access to "thousands of''secret'' files". And that Boy Scout leaders were being dismissed on average of 1 every 2 days there would have been NO BSA program LEFT.The Boy Scout program is worldwide. I should image that on any given day there are leaders that leave the program under honorable circumstances for a wide variety of reasons none of which have anything to do with molesting boys. Safe guard for the boys have been has been installed.My husband is an Eagle Scout and so are our 3 sons, none of whom were molested. I know plenty of Boy Scouts who were not molested. So where are all these monsters that according to this article are in almost all BSA programs?So What is the agenda here? CBS NEWS certainly has a black EYE on this one!!
Happy Cubmaster

[emmasgma]

IF these two boys were molested then I am sorry. Boy Scouts are for age 11,not 6 or 7. When Matt Stewart was 6 there were no Tiger Cub Programs. The article said that Former Troop Leader(Boy Scouts)Phelps had contact with one and then the other boy, are we talking about the same boys? Did Sandra Hughes do her homework? Did she even LOOK at a Boy Scout book? Because as Scout leaders my husband and I have read these books and neitherof us can find anywhere in these materials or any other BSA materials where it says that it is OK for a boy to go along with a leader doing ANYTHING that makes him uncomfortable! As an honorable leader I feel slandered by CBS NEWS.Futher more IF as Tim Kosnoff has proclaimed that he was given access to "thousands of''secret'' files". And that Boy Scout leaders were being dismissed on average of 1 every 2 days there would have been NO BSA program LEFT.The Boy Scout program is worldwide. I should image that on any given day there are leaders that leave the program under honorable circumstances for a wide variety of reasons none of which have anything to do with molesting boys. Safe guard for the boys have been has been installed.My husband is an Eagle Scout and so are our 3 sons, none of whom were molested. I know plenty of Boy Scouts who were not molested. So where are all these monsters that according to this article are in almost all BSA programs?So What is the agenda here? CBS NEWS certainly has a black EYE on this one!!
Happy Cubmaster

[emmasgma]

IF these two boys were molested then I am sorry. Boy Scouts are for age 11,not 6 or 7. When Matt Stewart was 6 there were no Tiger Cub Programs. The article said that Former Troop Leader(Boy Scouts)Phelps had contact with one and then the other boy, are we talking about the same boys? Did Sandra Hughes do her homework? Did she even LOOK at a Boy Scout book? Because as Scout leaders my husband and I have read these books and neitherof us can find anywhere in these materials or any other BSA materials where it says that it is OK for a boy to go along with a leader doing ANYTHING that makes him uncomfortable! As an honorable leader I feel slandered by CBS NEWS.Futher more IF as Tim Kosnoff has proclaimed that he was given access to "thousands of''secret'' files". And that Boy Scout leaders were being dismissed on average of 1 every 2 days there would have been NO BSA program LEFT.The Boy Scout program is worldwide. I should image that on any given day there are leaders that leave the program under honorable circumstances for a wide variety of reasons none of which have anything to do with molesting boys. Safe guard for the boys have been has been installed.My husband is an Eagle Scout and so are our 3 sons, none of whom were molested. I know plenty of Boy Scouts who were not molested. So where are all these monsters that according to this article are in almost all BSA programs?So What is the agenda here? CBS NEWS certainly has a black EYE on this one!!
Happy Cubmaster

[pwrslm]

For some reason, when you claim the cub scouts didnt exist 25-30 years ago, all I can say is you are absolutely clueless.

Cub Scouts is an integral part of Boy Scouts.

It really doesnt matter what you think.

[emmasgma]

IF these two boys were molested then I am sorry. Boy Scouts are for age 11,not 6 or 7. When Matt Stewart was 6 there were no Tiger Cub Programs. The article said that Former Troop Leader(Boy Scouts)Phelps had contact with one and then the other boy, are we talking about the same boys? Did Sandra Hughes do her homework? Did she even LOOK at a Boy Scout book? Because as Scout leaders my husband and I have read these books and neitherof us can find anywhere in these materials or any other BSA materials where it says that it is OK for a boy to go along with a leader doing ANYTHING that makes him uncomfortable! I am furious my the last statement in Ms. Hughes report. As an honorable leader I feel slandered by CBS NEWS.Futher more if as Tim Kosnoff has proclaimed that he was given access to "thousands of''secret'' files". And that Boy Scout leaders were being dismissed on average of 1 every 2 days there would have been NO BSA program LEFT. Safe guards for the boys have been installed.My husband is an Eagle Scout and so are our 3 sons, none of whom were molested. I know plenty of Boy Scouts who were not molested. So What is the agenda here? CBS NEWS certainly has a black EYE on this one!!
Happy Cubmaster

[lastdance2]

I want to see - "The FBI" -

Exposed for it''s - Own Role in the :
Child S*E*X - Slave Operations - That occurred within the
Juvenile Detention Centers.

Boys were aged : 10yrs thu 13 years old.
Girls were aged : 8yrs thu 11 years old
When they were finished with one child -
They started on another

"J. Edgar Hoover" (FBI Director)
Often enjoyed : A romp in bed with : "Young Boys"

Video tapped - Statements : From former FBI agents :
Describing how - They delivered Young Boys - For S*e*x*
Is evidence to that ! ! ! !

"Solicitation - Prostitution - Pimps"

The FBI - (Uncovered) - In one of it''s more Finest Moments.
If those Young Boys, came from Juvenile Detention Centers.
They may - "Not" - of had any - Choice in the Matter
That activity - Now turns into a : S*e*x* - Slave trafficking operation.
of Young Boys

Research :
The Secret Life of J Edgar Hoover
copy and paste (Google)

Lastdance

[kjbf59]

I have grown up with scouting. My parents were leaders and my brother was a Cub Scout, then a Boy Scout and I was in Girl Scouts. When my own children were growing up my husband and I were active in Scouting with them. That is the key: Be involved in scouting with your child. Cub/Boy Scouting and Girl Scouting are not baby sitting services. Both organizations to my knowledge require two unrelated adults to supervise every activity the children are involved in. That can only happen if there are enough parent volunteers involved with each unit to provide that level of supervision. This is to protect the kids from molestation and the adults from accusations. When parents are not willing to get involved the safety level goes way down.
Boy Scouting is still one of the very best youth programs out there, better even than Girl Scouting. Even so, it is only as good and as safe as the parents of the children involved are willing to make it. It benefits the children in many ways when even one parent takes an active volunteer role in their son or daughter''s scout troop, den, or pack. Every parent can contribute something. I know of what I speak because of my life long experience as a scout, a leader''s daughter, as a parent, and as a trained adult leader. I am proud to be the mom of an Eagle Scout. It is a shame when any chiled is abused this way and I hope the Stewart''s can heal from this, but done by the rules Boy Scouts is still a very safe organization.

[junogoose]

WRONG!! WRONG!! WRONG!! WEather an adult man
has *** with another man or a teenage boy or a younger boy, its still MALE *** organs he wants!!

***** IS ***** IS *****!!

Posted by usmcvn
--------

1) you''re a moron.
2) go back to grammar school.

[ecogod]

As a guy who has gone from being in Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts earning my Eagle, Venture Scouts, working at Scout Camp, and now being an adult leader. The BSA is a very good program for kids.

[oakishpines]

'' ... the devil sang to me a song once, what if god was one of us, then he reminded me how i''d stood in some hallway peering at the streets considering the hell of the classrooms and detentions behind me and the homes that filled them and of the folk out in the streets before me what seemed to speak all day and all night of the people they love that need attention and help, and the devil asked, was that my life first or his, and sang to me a song, what if god was one of us ... then he reminded me that most folk most time dance porno get sick tax world get well feed world songs rallied round sick beds driting tens millions spore bloom weed dragon trail fickle first aid lunch farm cottage studio trail groups except that some forget to notice the giant weed patch behind the sun swallowing it because, in their minds, the sun has been deliberately blotted out by a field commandet waving a gun ... and then he threw some kid, against it''s will, out of an airplane with no parachute to break all it''s bones and he put the kid back together again (not with any swift magic, except some miracle of weed venom to keep the kid alive for the operation) and suggested that, usually, he throws himself out of airplanes without a parachute, or that he would, if not for that *** field commandet ... and said the kids and the weeds always forgive him that ... ''

[billpl-2009]

funny how you always hear about rallies for gay marriage, gay rights, anti-gay violence, parades, etc...

but you never hear about *** rallying against gay child abuse.

...seems these days, no one wants to clean out their own closet

[oakishpines]

'' ... if there was a pharoah or king or congress or even some ordinary martial law: they''d say lets invest trillions in get well feed world, alas, people being people everyone invests trillions in get sick tax world ... that''''s luck for ya ... ''

'' ... hi, i want to be god, vote for me and i''ll keep us on the trailsof non charity and taxation and see to it each two year old is treated like a two year old even if i have to do each naked uneducated undisciplined one of them myself ... ''

'' ... when they show up at the door to volunteer, i remind them that i did not volunteer to dance get well feed world songs most of the time, i volunteered to mug rape kill cuff cage collar torture tax slave spank smack school and death tax dress strip shock awe dare drug cuff cage rough stuff freak famine spank nuke stick stone rant rave cop troop rage slave and get sick tax world all people all the time ... just teasing? ... ''

'' ... most folk most time do not dance porno get sick tax world get well feed world songs rallied around the sick beds drifting tens millions spore bloom weed dragon trail fickle first aid lunch farm cottage studio trail groups ... ''

'' ... i went to all this trouble to steal this awesome state of the art satelite photo of my garden, and my kid swallowed the whole *** garden and spit up a new one fifty times more massive and intricate than the first ... and i had to steal another photo ... ''

[mike21b00]

The incident occurred 25 to 30 years ago, not last week. I have been a BSA adult leader for eleven years. They were doing background checks before I joined, not recently as your report inferred. It is unfortunate what happened to the two men, but I find it hard to believe that the damage was done by one man who was their assistant scoutmaster for eleven years, as your report inferred. How old was Bruce Phelps when he did the acts? Was he an older scout or an adult? There is a big difference between the two. There was an inferrence that there were thousands of adults thrown out the BSA. You gave us hearsay from the plaintiffs lawyer who is paid to spin facts. Where is the hard data? Give us real numbers. The adult that ran the program was not arrested for child abuse. There is a difference. He deserves jail time for dealing in child porn. Scouting not safe for boys? Nothing is safe for anybody, anytime, anywhere. Scouting, however, has standards and pursues them. These standards are far better than what you can find on the street and in our schools. Are there people in scouting that should not be there? Some will slip through. You will find that anywhere. How many reporters are perverts? What you failed to note is that the adults monitor each other as well as the boys and are held to standard. Katie, name another organization that each year works with millions of boys in the USA lets them be boys in as safe a setting as the BSA?

[bvckvs-2009]

This story is being planted *everywhere* by the Vatican.

The current pope is on a tear to promote Xianity as the one, true faith - and he really hates that the scouts teach tolerance for all faiths.

Beyond that, he hopes that folks will be forgiving of the priests if they believe that pedophilia is a common practice.

The TRUTH is that EVERY organization that caters to kids has to keep on the watch for pedophiles - and that the scouts have been very diligent in flushing them out.

This contrasts with the catholics - who actually sought out pedophiles to work with children and then covered for each other while they continued their crimes as priests.

--
"If 9/11 taught us nothing else, it''s that religious extremists are our mortal enemies.

[firechief101]

I watched the story this evening as I prepared to take my son to his first Cub Scout meeting. I was horrified. Someone please name a children''s organization that has a better history. The BSA prevention program is award winning by any standard, certainly as compared to the Catholic Church (nothing against Catholics). The BSA has removed persons from the beginning (1910?)for the hint of inappropriate behavior. THE MAIN PROBLEM IS PARENTAL INVOLVMENT! IF YOU LEAVE YOUR CHILDREN WITH ANYONE YOU KNOW LITTLE ABOUT, WHY ARE YOU SUPRISED? The idea of the BSA or a similar organization is family involvement. My question is, where were you? IN THIS DAY AND AGE AS A PARENT, YOU DUMP THE KIDS AND GO RUN ERRANDS, WHY ARE YOU SUPRISED? BE INVOLVED, KNOW WHERE AND WHO YOUR KIDS ARE WITH, AND BE THERE! WHAT IS MORE IMPORTANT? But, that is OK nowadays, because it is always someone else''s fault? If you are busier than I am (I travel the country about 180 days per year) give me an excuse. I value the time I spend with my 6 year old son more than anything! I had a wonderful experience with the Scouts, because my parents spent the time WITH me! Go camping, go watch them play, help them build the pine racers! It is a shame we cannot trust anyone, God be with the victims. With all the child abuse I have seen in my 26 years as a Paramedic and Firefighter, lack of involvement is the biggest problem. All I can say, again, is BE THERE FOR YOUR KIDS! As we say in the South, It ain''t brain surgery!

[andor3]

firechief101 said: "...lack of involvement is the biggest problem. All I can say, again, is BE THERE FOR YOUR KIDS! "

BRAVO! This is absolutely right. My father was involved with me in scouting for years and I learned so many great things in that time. But many parents regarded it as a babysitting service and refused to help despite the pleas from the few parents who were involved.

The way pedophiles get involved is when the parents are not participating

[oakishpines]

'' ... don''t dance porno get sick tax world get well feed world songs rallied around sick beds drifting tens millions spore bloom weed dragon trail fickle first aid lunch farm cottage studio trail groups ... ''

'' ... to feed the world, just tax it: to tax it, just feed it ... ''

'' ... what''d the stealth pilot say to the other stealth pilot? you can''t hear me you can''t see me you can''t touch me you can''''t taste me you can''''t smell me, so why am i even talking to you? ... ''

'' ... why''d the stealth pilot uncloak? she needed more funding and a fresh street corner full of naked lazy ignorant profane blemished kids to cleanse ... ''

'' ... what do you get when you cross a stealth pilot with a parrot? a stare at ... ''

''... if a stealth crashes in a forest and there'' no one else around, will more kids grow up afraid of being undisciplined ... ''

[brianbwb-2009]

If the media would quit differentiating between gay molestation and rape, maybe some constructive dialogs could take place, but by emphasis on the homosexual nature of the crimes, it only encourages the religious hypocrites and homophobes to begin a pointless bashing.

Homosexuality is probably as old as gratuitous eroticism, and won''t go away. It is not, as some gay rights people posit, a biological "wiring problem", as it is not necessary to continue an individual''s life. It is, as all acts of erotic nature are, a choice.

But abusing ones power or position to engage in *** with an otherwise disinclined victim is rape, whether hetero- or homosexual, and should be dealt with as rape, or statutory rape if the victim is underaged, and the perpetrators should be duly sanctioned as prescribed by law, be they politicians, priests, teachers, policemen, "casting couch" film makers, or Boy Scout leaders.

[firechief101]

Having read the comments on this story, I am both amazed and dismayed. This is not a story to display your politics, homophobia, perversion, conspiracy theories, or otherwise. As always, in this day and age, everyone misses the point!! IT IS ABOUT OUR KIDS!!!

[nvme3]

Abuse of a child is one of the most heinous acts that an adult could ever perpetrate on a child. It last the child a lifetime. the pain and isolation for the child is immeasurable. A child loves and trusts, those who are supposed to nurture and guide them, unreservedly. That is why when it is violated, the most strenuous effort to document and punish the predators must be sought. No one person or organization should be allowed to suppress vital information to the authorities. BSA is a great org. it is worthy of praise for the positive effects they have on young boys lives. The article mentions that there were thousands of file released to these men who were victims. It is a given that they were abuse and that they had compelling evidence to prove that they should see these files. the fact that the files exist speak volumes. Perhaps is this article stops one more child from being brutalized the the author has done a wonderful service to the communitee at large.

Its all about blood sucking lawyers and MONEY these things happend years ago.Why wait untill now can we say STOP touching me.

[jacksteen1]

The Boy Scouts of America has been a rotten sepulcher of an organization for years - they have been harboring almost as many pedophiles as the Baptist Church...almost as many...and have been hypocritical in their program of not allowing gay children to join or allowing gay scoutmasters to serve.

Now come the failure at life middle-aged Crackers that see that they can sue the BSA, now that their counterparts have bled the Catholic Church white (and they are simply out of money)...and what do you have ? Nonsense like this cropping up all over the nation.

Grown men "remembering" abuse that happened 30 years ago.

Yeah - right.

[lastdance2]

RE :
JackSteen1 - For you - and All that you Support and Believe in ! ! !

A matter of - "Record" - Over 40 years ago

It people like you - That keep this "Criminal Activity" -
Alive and going Strong.

"J. Edgar Hoover" (FBI Director)
Often enjoyed : A romp in bed with : "Young Boys"

Video tapped - Statements : From former FBI Agents :
Describing how - They delivered Young Boys - For S*e*x*
Is evidence to that ! ! ! !

"Solicitation - Prostitution - Pimps"
The FBI - (Uncovered) - In one of it''s more finest moments

If those Young Boys, came from Juvenile Detention Centers.
Then - They may - "Not" - of had any Choice in the Matter
That activity - Now turns into a : S*e*x* - Slave Trafficking Operation.
of Young Boys

___________
Research :
The Secret Life of J Edgar Hoover
copy and paste (Google)
___________

Lastdance

[phil7603]

My kids are in Scouts - have been for years. Certainly is safer for them than with a ***-mad teacher or crack dealing principal in a public school (yes, they attend a public school) - and certainly safer than with a pedophile newscaster for a major network (yup, had one of those in town, too) And certainly safer than being a congressional page with a congressman running a gay escort service from his basement.

The rules work - just like to rule of driving the speed limit and not drinking and driving - The rule have worked for years - and parent involvement has, for years, been the key to success. Just looking for a place to drop your son? Drop him with congress or [perhaps} his lusty teacher. Looking for a quality program - JOIN WITH HIM and give him awesome memories!

[blancadebree]

All three of my ex-husbands were Boy Scouts, as well as Alter Boys, and Congressional Pages. None of them turned out to be warped or troubled men. They were wonderful husbands, who were devoted and loving. Queer as a three dollar bill, but nice, all the same.

[mcvet]

Wasn''t this the organization that made such a fuss a few years ago about the morals of their leaders? Seems that was just a front and they truly didn''t care what went on out of view. Just had to keep up a good front I guess.

[oleander8]

Is anyone really surprised?

[wlb2750]

The Boy Scout story is rediculous. Very safe organization. 2 adults must be with a child at all times. President Ford was a Boy Scout. Scouts do not have to do anything inappropriate. They abide by the Scout Law which you should look up. I have been a Scout leader for many years, my son is in Scouts. I would not hesitate in recommending Scouts. They are some of the finest dedicated individuals know.

[Joe posey]

i knew of and incident like this happening when i was a scout, but, we only had one scout master with us, the other was called back to work, thinking that would have been the only one,up till now. which it was never reported.

[ov442]

More conservative Republican Values.
Teaching OBediance or you get huge guilt or punishments in the scouts. Obediance meaning unquestioning loyalty to your ''scout leaders''
The Change in the scouts handbook was only a recent change. The mindset that was being forced on these kids for the previous 95 years was the same.
They brag about their child abuse prevention, yet the man running it was a child porn(abuse) trafficker.
They did the exact same thing as another Cherished, Powerful, secretive and HIGH Moral value organization - the Catholic Church. They hid the crimes of their members and they swept it under the rug.
You people that defend the Scouts are in denial.
You think for one second that the majority of scouts who were abused would fess up about it? most are loyal to the end, and dont want the embarrassment.
My best friend from New Jersey went on scout ''jamborees'' constantly and he was a loyal servant! When the adults werent around which is OFTEN, they would do the most disgusting things with each other. Most often because of older scouts who were shown things by scout leaders.
The whole organization is a corrupt example of hippocrisy.

[lkybky1]

I am amazed at how slanted CBS news has become. I was an avid viewer for years until the Dan Rather scandal. How could CBS news have sunken so low that they now have become an outlet for tabloid journalism? It used to be, "If it bleeds, it leads", now, unfortunately, the rally cry has become "Find a victim, blame the system". I was appalled at Sandra Hughes'' story on sexual abuse in the Boy Scouts. How can CBS news even air a story like that without fully investigating and getting the facts straight from both sides. "Fair and Balanced" I think not!What ever happened to responsible journalism? It is every parent''s duty to ensure that their children''s activities are properly supervised. Unfortunately, for many parents, they just don''t take the time and drop their kids off to be baby sat by anyone who claims to be a rsponsible adult merely by their associations or affiliations. How dare CBS assume that The Boy Scouts of America is run by a bunch of child molesting pedophiles! The old idea that we are all victims just does not cut it any more. There is no personal responsibility, only a cruel world out there preying on the innocent. Hog wash! There was nothing said in the story about the parents role in the case reported on, and to end the story on a line like " The Boy Scouts is not a safe place for your son" is simply reprehensible.