From the BSA’s leadership:

We are outraged that there have been times when individuals took advantage of our programs to abuse innocent children and sincerely apologize to anyone who was harmed during their time in Scouting. We believe victims, we support them, we provide counseling by a provider of their choice, and we encourage them to come forward. We believe that all victims should receive our support and compensation – and we have taken decisive action to make that possible. Our plan is to use this Chapter 11 process to create a Trust that would provide equitable compensation to these individuals.

It is incredibly sad to see what the Boy Scouts has become. As a kid I spent so much time at scouting events, campouts, and meetings. My memories are all incredibly positive and the experience I gained from scouting has been a big part of my life. However it is clear that my story is certainly not the only story. It’s easy for me to say from my position of privilege that this organization is all good. But it’s heartbreaking to hear these stories of repeated and institutionalized abuse. I hope this is the first big step towards correcting these wrongs and fixing the problem for good.