Greater Hudson Valley Council

Bankruptcy

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The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) is committed to compensating victims through its restructuring and this is an important milestone in meeting that imperative. The bar date sets a clear timeline for victims to come forward and later seek compensation from the BSA’s proposed compensation trust. We encourage all victims to file a claim and will be providing extensive noticing to ensure that there is a clear process for them to do so.

About the Bar Date

Questions: What is a “bar date”? What does it mean for the BSA? What does it mean for survivors who were abused during their time in Scouting? What happens if I don’t file a claim by the bar date?

  • The bar date creates a window of time in which survivors of abuse in Scouting may file claims in the BSA’s bankruptcy case, and a deadline by which they need to submit the paperwork. The bankruptcy court overseeing the national organization’s bankruptcy case has set a bar date of November 16, 2020.
  • The BSA encourages all survivors to file a claim by November 16, 2020 at 5 p.m. (Eastern Time).
  • The bar date for non-abuse claimants, such as vendors, to file claims against the national council is also November 16, 2020 at 5 p.m. (Eastern Time).
  • If you have a claim against the national council but do not file the claim by the bar date, you will not be treated as a creditor with respect to your claim for the purposes of voting on a Chapter 11 plan or receiving compensation for your claim.

About the Sexual Abuse Claims Noticing Process

Questions: I received a notice in the mail/via email from the BSA about filing a claim for abuse – what is this? Does this mean my child was abused in Scouting?

  • To be clear, receiving a notice does not necessarily mean that you have a claim or that your child was harmed while in Scouting. The BSA is just being as thorough as possible in order to reach potential abuse survivors so they may file a claim.
  • As you know, the national organization of the BSA filed for bankruptcy to ensure that survivors of past abuse in Scouting are equitably compensated.
  • It is important that the BSA reach as many potential claimants – in this case, survivors of abuse – as possible so they may file a claim.

Filing a claim is the only way to get compensation for any harm done during one’s time in Scouting.

  • To achieve this, the national organization is undergoing a significant noticing campaign intended to reach millions of current and past BSA members. This includes targeted advertising that is intended to reach upwards of 100 million individuals, as well as a mail and email notice program that will reach in excess of 10 million individuals.   

About the Safety in Scouting

Questions: What does this mean for local Scouting? Are my kids safe?

  • The Westchester-Putnam Council’s local programming is continuing – subject to the current coronavirus policies in place – throughout this process. There should be no change to the local Scouting experience.
  • The noticing process means the BSA is one step closer to its imperative of compensating survivors of abuse and emerging from Chapter 11 a stronger organization.
  • Nothing is more important than the safety and protection of children in our Scouting programs – it is our top priority.
    • Over many years, we’ve developed some of the strongest expert-informed youth protection policies found in any youth-serving organization.
    • I can also assure you that our volunteers and employees take youth protection extremely seriously and do their part to help keep kids safe.
    • To learn more about how the BSA keeps kids in Scouting safe today, I encourage you to visit www.scouting.org/youth-safety.
  • We remain as committed as ever to delivering Scouting’s unparalleled experiences to young people throughout our communities.   

Questions: Do I need to file a claim? How do I know if I have a claim? Will my claim be made public?

About the Sexual Abuse Claims Process

  • The national organization of the BSA filed for bankruptcy to ensure that survivors of past abuse in Scouting are equitably compensated. It important that the BSA reach as many potential claimants – in this case, survivors of abuse – as possible so they may file a claim. Filing a claim is the only way to get compensation for any harm done to you during your time in Scouting. If you do not file a claim, you will give up your right to bring your claim in the future.
  • If you or BSA members in your household experienced sexual abuse during your time in Scouting, you must file a claim by November 16, 2020. Please follow the directions on the Notice of Deadline for Filing Sexual Abuse Claims in the Boy Scouts of America Bankruptcy Case to submit a “Sexual Abuse Survivor Proof of Claim,” both of which are available at www.OfficialBSAclaims.com.
  • If you have questions about the claims process, you can contact your attorney or call the BSA’s dedicated restructuring hotline at 1-866-907-2721 for more information and to speak to the BSA’s claims and noticing agent. The claims and noticing agent can provide information about how to file a claim, but cannot offer legal advice.
  • You should consult with an attorney if you have any questions, including if you are unsure whether you have a claim.
  • Sexual Abuse Survivor Proofs of Claim that are submitted will not be available to the public unless you choose to release that information, and your information will be kept private subject to certain limitations.
    • Unless you elect otherwise on the Sexual Abuse Survivor Proof of Claim, your identity and your Sexual Abuse Survivor Proof of Claim will be kept confidential and outside the public record.
    • However, information about your Sexual Abuse Claim will be confidentially provided, pursuant to Bankruptcy Court-approved guidelines, to a limited number of parties specifically approved by the Court.

Questions: I was abused during my time in Scouting – where/how do I file a claim? If the abuse occurred after the age of 18, do I still have a claim?

  • The Sexual Abuse Proof of Claim Form is for survivors of childhood sexual abuse. If you were sexually abused before turning 18 years old, you should submit a Sexual Abuse Survivor Proof of Claim, which can be found along with instructions at www.OfficialBSAclaims.com.

 

  • If you have a claim arising from sexual abuse and you were at least 18 years old at the time the sexual abuse began, OR if you have a claim arising from other types of abuse, including non-sexual physical abuse, non-sexual emotional abuse, bullying or hazing, you should consult the Notice of Deadlines Requiring Filing of Proof of Claim and file a General Proof of Claim (Official Bankruptcy Form 410), available at http://www.omniagentsolutions.com/bsaclaims.

Questions: What resources is the BSA offering?

About Resources Available for Getting Support

  • The BSA offers funding for in-person counseling for current and former Scouts who are survivors of sexual abuse or their family member by a provider of their choice, when they are ready to take that step. To request in-person counseling, please call 1-866-907-2721 or email restructuring@scouting.org.
  • The BSA has also partnered with 1in6, a trusted national resource for male survivors, to expand their online services so you are able to anonymously access vital support from trained advocates. The 1in6 services are independent of the BSA and free to the user. You can access these services at www.1in6.org/BSA.

About Reporting Abuse to the Authorities

Questions: Who should I report my abuse to if I haven’t already? The abuse occurred many years ago, do I still need to report it? Does reporting abuse to the BSA automatically mean I’ve filed a claim?

  • Reporting sexual abuse protects other children by ensuring that perpetrators are barred from Scouting and are reported to law enforcement. If you are a survivor of abuse, you should immediately contact the police to report the abuse. You can learn more about how to report sexual abuse at www.childwelfare.gov/topics/responding/reporting/hoh/.
  • If you have not previously reported the sexual abuse to BSA, please call 1-866-907-2721 or email restructuring@scouting.org.
  • Please know that reporting sexual abuse is different than filing a claim in the BSA’s bankruptcy case.

About the General Claims Noticing Process

Questions: How do I file a non-abuse related claim against the BSA?

  • If you have a claim against the national organization of the BSA related to anything other than childhood sexual abuse that arose before February 18, 2020, you should file a claim on the General Proof of Claim Form or on a claim form that substantially conforms to Official Bankruptcy Form No. 410 on or before November 16, 2020. Claim forms, instructions, and the notice providing details about filing a claim are available at http://www.omniagentsolutions.com/bsaclaims.
  • If you have questions about the claims process, you can contact your attorney or call the BSA’s dedicated restructuring hotline at 1-866-907-2721 for more information and to speak to the BSA’s claims and noticing agent. The claims and noticing agent can provide information about how to file a claim, but cannot offer legal advice.
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