Boy Scouts of America Increases Its Settlement Offer by $800 Million to Abuse Survivors

By Mary Webber (staff@latinpost.com) First Posted: Dec 15, 2021 11:39 PM EST

Mark Veteto, Camp Ranger for the Maple Dell Scout Camp, owned by the Utah National Park Council of the Boy Scouts of America, locks the front gate for the day on May 9, 2018 outside Payson, Utah. The Utah-based Mormon Church announced that at the end of 2019 they will end their 105-year relationship with the Boy Scouts of America and drop the Boy Scout Program and replace it with their own "gospel oriented" program. This will have a severe impact on the scouting program, especially in Utah where 97 percent of the troops are sponsored by the Mormon Church. (Photo : George Frey/Getty Images)

The Boy Scouts of America has recently increased its settlement offer to more than 82,000 boys and men who were sexually abused as scouts.

The Coalition of Abused Scouts for Justice announced on Monday that it reached a settlement agreement with one of the Boy Scouts' primary insurers, Century Indemnity Co., and its affiliated companies for $800 million, according to a People report.

The added amount would bring the total compensation fund to more than $2.6 billion, which makes it the largest sexual abuse settlement offer in history.

However, survivors who oppose the settlement noted that other settlements have paid out far more money per victim.

The BSA said in a statement that it was significant for them that they equitably compensate survivors. The group added that they hope it will lead to further settlement agreements from other parties.

The BSA filed for bankruptcy in 2020 after it was faced with a series of lawsuits from sex abuse survivors who sued the youth organization for failing to protect them from predators.

Meanwhile, by agreeing to the settlement, BSA and its 250 local councils would be reprieved from further liability for sexual abuse claims, according to an NPR report.

The BSA said that they are "extremely pleased" to announce the settlement.

A judge in Delaware gave claimants until December 28 to vote on the Boy Scouts bankruptcy reorganization plan.

Boy Scouts of America and Sexual Abuse Claims

The Boy Scouts noted in court filings that a total of 275 abuse lawsuits in state and federal courts were filed against them. In addition, there are 1,400 potential claims on top of the lawsuits, according to a USA Today report.

More than 90,000 sexual abuse claims were filed by the November 2020 deadline, making it the largest child sex abuse case involving one national organization.

Around 10 percent of those claims were duplicates, which had decreased the number to 82,000.

Another vetting process will happen after a plan is confirmed and a trustee is appointed to administer the trust, which would involve a review of information provided by claimants.

In March, the Boy Scouts proposed paying around $220 million toward a trust to compensate survivors and another $300 million from a voluntary contribution from local councils.

However, there is a huge number of survivors who oppose the offer.

Tim Kosnoff of Abused in Scouting said that the offer changes nothing. He added that it was "too little too late."

Abused in Scouting is an organization representing many survivors of the case.

Kosnoff said that it is a non-starter, adding that survivors are not stupid, with each of the survivors getting around $33,000.

Kosnoff said that the offer is still "pennies on the dollars."

BSA survivor Stephen Mackenzie said that he is going to vote "no" as the amount of money many survivors will get is not enough.

Mackenzie was abused in the 1970s in Vermont's Mount Norris Scout Reservation.

This article is owned by Latin Post

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: Boy Scouts of America files for bankruptcy amid sex abuse scandal - from PBS NewsHour

Tags Boy Scouts of America, Boy Scouts, Settlement, Survivors