Tuesday, June 18, 2013

News
Anchorage Man Sues Boy Scouts of America for Sexual Abuse as a Child
The man’s attorney also insists the organization knew of nationwide cases of abuse in the 1960s and failed to warn parents and scouts.
By Corey Allen-Young


An Anchorage man says his boy scout leader sexually abused him back in the 1970s and now he's suing the organization.

 

The alleged victim, identified in the lawsuit as “Barry Doe,” is now in his 40s and married with children. But around 30 years ago, he says his scout leader, Dean Wendall You, molested him. 

 

Doe says the alleged abuse was skin-to-skin fondling and occurred on two separate occasions when he was about 10 or 11 years old. Doe's attorneys say You, the scout leader for Troop 15, molested Doe when he was spending the night at his house. The two were supposed to have practiced martial arts training and work on scouting projects.

 

In an unrelated incident, You was found guilty of attempted sex abuse of a minor back in 1996. Doe says he had struggled with long-term depression and substance abuse until he came across a similar case in Porland, Ore.  Doe said the news of this case prompted him to tell others his story.

 

“It was decades before he could admit to himself what had really happened. Before he could acknowledge that the struggles in his life weren't just because he was a flawed human being but there was a connection between what he was experiencing and what happened to him as a child. That was when he decided he wanted to come forward and do something about what happened to him,” said Kelly Clark, Doe’s attorney.

 

Local boy scout leaders from the Great Alaska Council issued the following response to the allegation:

"While we cannot comment on this on-going litigation, the Boy Scouts of America is saddened by any incident of abuse, and we extend our sympathies to all such victims. Youth protection has always been of paramount importance to the BSA, and we continue to enhance our youth protection programs to ensure scouting is as safe as possible for all of our members."

 

This case is not being charged criminally because the statutes of limitation for the alleged abuse have run out.

 

Doe's attorneys’ claim the National Boy Scouts of America was aware of nationwide cases of abuse in the 1960s and failed to warn parents and scouts of such incidents.