NJ Boy Scout Councils Selling Land To Settle Sex Abuse Claims

TOMS RIVER, NJ — When the Toms River Township Council approved the purchase in October of a 3.85-acre parcel of land at Ridgeway Road in late September, town officials trumpeted it as an important open space acquisition.

But that land purchase was about more than just open space; it was part of the efforts of the Boy Scouts of America to meet the obligations set forth in a proposed settlement to pay the financial claims of thousands of victims of sexual abuse.

Get local news updates delivered to your inbox. Sign up for Patch alerts and daily newsletters here.

Local Boy Scout Councils around the country are selling off property to cover what has been determined as their obligation to the $1.9 billion settlement proposed to compensate Scouts who were sexually abused by Boy Scout leaders, with claims dating back to the 1940s.

That includes two land sales so far by councils in New Jersey: the Jersey Shore Council sale of a 3.85-acre parcel to Toms River Township, and the pending sale by the Patriots Path Council of a property that council owns in New York State, called Sabattis Adventure Camp.

There have been more than 82,000 sexual abuse claims filed nationally against the Boys Scouts of America, according to a proposed bankruptcy settlement that is awaiting approval. A report by the Albany Times-Union from June puts the figure at nearly 92,000 claims. More than 50 percent of the claims allege a first instance of abuse prior to 1974, that report said.

The volume of claims and lawsuits led to the Boy Scouts of America seeking Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2020. The proposed settlement, filed Sept. 29, 2021, aims to allow the Boy Scouts of America to pay the victims of sexual abuse while allowing the organization to restructure. It is set to sell off millions of the national organization’s assets.

The proposed bankruptcy settlement includes a breakdown by local Boy Scout Council of how much each must contribute to the national settlement, a figure that represents a combination of a number of factors, including how many claims were filed against a particular council and the value of its unrestricted assets.

In many cases, campgrounds and other land are the largest pieces of the local councils’ assets, which is why many are considering or resorting to the land deals.

The sale of campgrounds has been controversial in some areas. In Missouri, the plan to sell campgrounds was panned by the Joplin Globe, which called it a betrayal in an editorial. In other areas, there have been petitions and protests.

There has not been a similar outcry in New Jersey in the two land sales so far.

The Jersey Shore Council’s sale of the Clayton Service Center, home to the council’s operating office, was barely a blip in the Toms River area. At the council meeting where the purchase was approved, audience questions were focused on concerns that buying the property would somehow open the town up to liability in the sexual abuse lawsuits.

Township Attorney Anthony Merlino assured residents the township would not face any responsibility for those claims, even though the town is leasing the property to the Jersey Shore Council for a nominal fee for the next several years.

James Gillick, CEO of the Jersey Shore Council, said the sale of the Clayton Service Center to the township allowed the council to fulfill its share of national settlement. The council, which serves more than 6,000 Scouts in Ocean, Atlantic, and Southeast Burlington counties, plus Ocean City in Cape May County, is required to contribute $386,141, according to the proposed settlement.

Toms River paid $1.1 million, based on an independent appraisal, for the Clayton Service Center property, which sits next to a former private campground, Camp Albocondo. That property is owned jointly by Ocean County and Toms River and was purchased in 2014 in part with Green Acres funding, meaning that site will remain open space.

Gillick said the funds the council is receiving for the Clayton Service Center in excess of the council’s $386,141 obligation to the national settlement will be used for local programs. There were 88 claims against leaders involved with the Jersey Shore Council, according to the settlement.

The Patriots Path Council’s sale of Sabattis Adventure Camp, a 1,250-acre camp on a 250-acre lake in the Adirondacks, has been a bit more attention-getting. The campground has been hosting Boy Scouts for more than 60 years. A report by NJ.com said there was a prior attempt to sell the campground in 2017 that was halted after hundreds of people signed a petition demanding it be stopped.

The Sabattis Adventure Camp is appraised at $1,585,000; the Patriots Path Council’s contribution is more than $3.7 million, according to the proposed settlement; there have been 197 claims filed against that council.

Other Scout campgrounds in New Jersey also may be up for sale as the bankruptcy settlement process moves forward, depending on how other councils choose to approach their contributions, which can be from land sales or other assets, including cash investments.

The Northern New Jersey Council, for instance, has more than 460 claims that have been filed, and has been tasked with a $3,064,566 payment. That council owns five properties — its service center/offices in Oakland, worth $2.7 million; Camp Conklin in Boonton, worth $350,000;
Camp Turrell in the Catskills, appraised at $2.6 million; Camp No-Be-Bo-Sco in Hardwick, worth $1.66 million, and Floodwood Mountain Scout Reservation, near Saranac Lake in New York, appraised at $820,000.

The Monmouth Council, which serves parts of Monmouth, Middlesex, Mercer, Somerset and Hunterdon counties, has 91 claims and a contribution of $3,170,811. It owns four parcels, including its service center and store in Marlboro, which is valued at $2.6 million, and its Forestburg Scout Reservation in New York State, which is appraised at $3.2 million. It also owns Quail Hill Scout Reservation in Manalapan, which is valued at just under $1 million, and a sliver of beach in Sea Bright, appraised at $1.18 million.

Toms River made the purchase of the Clayton Service center to expand the open space around the Toms River, which flows through the area. In doing so, Toms River was able to fend off potential developers who would have loved to turn the property into more homes, Mayor Maurice Hill said at the time.

Gillick said that is the only land sale the Jersey Shore Council is considering. The council also owns the Joseph A. Citta Scout Reservation, a 550-acre property in Barnegat, but that property will remain with the council, he said.

Have a news tip? Email karen.wall@patch.com