Update: Boy Scouts of America Responds to Massive Sexual Abuse Lawsuit

In what is believed to be the largest single lawsuit filed against the Boy Scouts of America, 17 former members are alleging they were sexually abused by a now-deceased Ridgefield scoutmaster.

The scouts say the scoutmaster sexually abused the then-11- to 17-year-olds on camping trips and outings from 1963 to 1975.

The scoutmaster—Donald Dennis—died two years ago.

In the 857-page lawsuit, which contains over 170 counts, the plaintiffs also include two girls, identified in the suit as “members of the household of Donald Dennis,” were forced to watch him sexually abuse some of the boys in his home.

All the plaintiffs are listed as John Doe or Jane Doe. One plaintiff is deceased; his wife is named in the suit as Jane Doe #3.

The suit, filed in Superior Court in Stamford, is asking for monetary and punitive damages and attorneys fees.

Brooke Goff of the Stamford-based Reinken Law Firm, who is representing all 19 plaintiffs, said the victims now range in age from 50 to 60.

She said they are anxious about the lawsuit, but they all want justice.

“Most of them have held onto this secret for a long time,” Goff said. “It’s affected all of their lives.”

“They are ready for some closure,” she said.

The Boy Scouts of America released a statement to Patch regarding the lawsuit.

“Nothing is more important than the safety of our youth members and we are saddened when anyone uses their position to harm children. The Boy Scouts of America extends its deepest sympathies to any person who has been hurt by child sexual abuse,” a spokesperson said.

“We were only made aware of these allegations last month and had never before received any reports or accusations against this individual by youth members, parents or adult volunteer leaders. I can also tell you that this individual has not been registered in our programs for many years and is now deceased.”

The statement goes on to say that The Boy Scouts of America has worked to prevent child abuse through a comprehensive program of education on the subject, criminal background checks, and other mandatory reporting of any allegation or suspicion of abuse.

Named as defendants in the lawsuit are the Boy Scouts of America Corporation; Fairfield County Council of Boy Scouts of America, Inc., and Connecticut Yankee Council Inc.

The lawsuit claims the Boy Scouts of America presented itself to the public as a “moral and safe” environment for boys “to participate in healthy outdoor activities and to be given proper guidance and instruction.”

According to the suit, the Boy Scouts of America maintained “perversion files or ineligible volunteer files,” whose purpose was to keep sexual predators out of the scouting organization. The BSA did not do anything to ameliorate the sexual abuse problem the suit alleges it knew about, nor did it warn scouts, their parents or troop-level leaders during the time of abuse.

Most of the victims had repressed the memories of the alleged sexual abuses until October 2012 when knowledge of the ineligible volunteer files were publicized.

Goff said her clients are not driven by any possible monetary gain.

She said that they open up a newspaper or see a television program and find out about other victims.

“If they can play a small part in helping others, they want to do it,” Goff said.

Philip T. Newbury Jr. of Howd & Ludorf LLC, who is representing the Boy Scouts of America, said he could not comment on pending litigation. 

Additional reporting by Rich Scinto

Photo credit: Image via Shutterstock.