Got behind on my blogging due to some business travel last week, but back at it. First thing that caught my eye were the numerous articles about the release of the “Boy Scout Perversion Files”. The existence of the “perversion files” first came to light in 2010, when six former boy scouts filed a lawsuit in Oregon claiming a former Boy Scouts of America scoutmaster has abused them. Portions of the “perversion files” were utilized as evidence and the trial judge ruled that the files should be released to the general public under open records provisions of the Oregon Constitution. That decision was later upheld by the Oregon Supreme Court.

The files themselves[138 pages long, available here] reveal that the Boy Scouts organization, which supposedly prepares “young people to make ethical and moral choices”, was neither ethical, nor moral, when it came to protecting kids. The files, created between 1959 and 1985, identify approximately 1,500 scoutmasters, and volunteers who were accused of child molestation. According to reports, authority figures including Boy Scout leaders; police personnel; prosecutors and church personnel shielded accused scoutmasters accused of abusing kids. The rationale was to protect the “good name” of the organization. According to the Boy Scout estimates, more than one third of the accusations were NOT reported to the police.

The Boy Scouts have issued apologies to the victims and their families.