Boy Scouts of America Settle in Sex Abuse Trial to Keep Secret Files Confidential

Attorney Peter Janci moves boxes full of records from the Boy Scouts of America in Portland, Ore., Thursday, June 14, 2012. The Oregon Supreme Court has approved the release of 20,000 pages of so-called perversion files compiled by the Boy Scouts of America on suspected child molesters within the organization for more than 20 years, giving the public its first chance to review the records. (AP Photo/Don Ryan)

According to an article by the Los Angeles Times‘ Amanda Covarrubias and Kim Christensen, a controversial lawsuit against the Boy Scouts of America by a man who was abused by one of their scout leaders settled out of court last week. 

The controversy stems from the fact that the youth organization would rather settle the case and effectively keep people in the dark about potentially dangerous sexual predators and criminals than allow more of its confidential “perversion files” to be made public.

The alleged perpetrator, Al Steven Stein, went to prison for molesting three boys, including a 13 year-old Scout.  The files released through this ruling would have assisted in the civil trial against this registered sex offender and the Boy Scouts of America.  The abused boy was a member of Troop 36 in Goleta, CA in the Los Padres Council  of the BSA.

The files, which document Boy Scout leaders and volunteers who have been banned from working for the organization because of various abuses, including physical and sexual abuse, have been kept since the late 1920s.  In 2012, Kelly Clark helped in getting over 1200 of the ineligible volunteer files–from 1965 to 1985– released to the public.

Covarrubias contacted attorney Steve Crew, a leading advocate representing childhood sexual abuse survivors against institutions of trust like the Boy Scouts of America, to get his opinion:

Steve Crew, a plaintiff’s attorney in the Portland, Ore., case, said the Scouts may have settled the Santa Barbara County case because molestation continues to be a serious issue in the organization.

“Those files would show if this is still a problem and if this is still going on,” Crew said. “I suspect it’s still going on because the Boy Scouts still haven’t changed their policies. They don’t want [the files] to ever get out.”

To view the 1965-1985 Boy Scouts’ Perversion Files, click here.

As advocates for child sexual abuse survivors, we have seen how important it is to have those files available to the public, as it is one of the best ways for survivors to look up the records of their abusers.  Having another 16 years of information available for public review could help other people who have been abused find information to bring justice to the perpetrators of their pain and lost childhoods.

If you have information about sexual abuse and wish to speak to someone confidentially, call us toll-free at 1-888-407-0224 or use our confidential online form.