Eight more lawsuits filed against Arizona Boy Scout leaders
Even more filings expected before the end of the year
PHOENIX, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Eight lawsuits filed Monday accuse Boy Scout leaders in Arizona of sexually abusing children. They're the first in an anticipated flood of suits involving cases dating back decades.
In 2019, Arizona joined several states in extending the rights of childhood sexual abuse victims to sue their alleged assailants as well as any churches, youth groups, or other organizations that failed to recognize and prevent the abuse.
The law gave victims until their 30th birthday to bring suit. That's 10-years longer than the previous statute. It also provided a one-time window for plaintiffs who missed the age cutoff. That window closes on December 31st.
It bears noting, Arizona has no statute of limitation for criminal child sexual abuse charges.
The attorney who filed the lawsuits against eight Arizona Boy Scout councils, expects to file four more by year's end. Michael Pfau accuses the organization of failing to recognize predatory scout leaders, and then failing to prevent them from preying on the children they supervised.
Another lawyer said his group plans to file hundreds of lawsuits against state Boy Scout councils before year's end.
Pfau filed four lawsuits in Maricopa County, three in Pima County, and one in Mohave County.
Nearly 90,000 suits have been filed against the Boy Scouts of America. The organization filed for bankruptcy protection in February. It's the first step toward creating a compensation fund for those who claim a scout leader molested them.
