ON THERE. IN FEBRUARY 2020 THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA DECLARED BANKRUPTCY AS THOUSANDS OF MEN CAME FORWARD WITH CLAIMS OF SEXUAL ABUSE ACCORDING TO COURT DOCUMENTS FILED EARLIER THIS MONTH THE ORGANIZATION PROPOSED A TRUST FUND OF AT LEAST 300 MILLION DOLLARS TO COMPENSATE THE VICTIMS. WELL, WE CHECK BACK IN WITH ARKANSAS SURVIVOR WILLIAM STEVENS AND HIS ATTORNEY ABOUT THOUGHTS ON THIS PROPOSED COMPENSATION ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD WILL NOT TAKE AWAY WHAT WAS ALLOWED TO HAPPEN TO ME AND WHAT THEY COVERED UP. WE FIRST SPOKE TO WILLIAM STEVENS IN NOVEMBER WHEN HE SHARED HIS STORY OF THE ALLEGED SEXUAL ABUSE. HE ENDURED AS A BOY SCOUT IN 1979 AND 1980 STEVENS IS ONE OF MORE THAN 83,000 PEOPLE NATION. APPLIED TO FILE SEXUAL ABUSE CLAIMS AGAINST THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA. IT’S THE LARGEST SEX ABUSE CASE IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD AGAINST AN ORGANIZATION AND THAT’S VERY HARD TO FATHOM ACCORDING TO COURT DOCUMENTS FILED THIS MONTH THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA QUOTE INTEND TO REQUEST THE VOLUNTARY COMMITMENTS OF LOCAL COUNCILS TO MAKE THEIR RESPECTIVE CONTRIBUTIONS, TOTALING 300 MILLION DOLLARS TO FUND A VICTIMS TRUST MEANING LOCAL COUNCILS LIKE GUAPA AREA COUNCIL WHICH STEPHENS WAS A PART OF WILL HAVE TO FUND THIS TRUST THEIR SETTLEMENT IS APPROXIMATELY $6,000 PER CLAIM. THAT’S WHAT THE ABUSE I SUFFERED. IS WORTH THE DEAL. YOU KNOW FOR ME FOR 42 AND A HALF YEARS THAT REALLY MADE EQUALS OUT TO ABOUT 141 DOLLARS AND 17 CENTS A YEAR. FOR THE LAST 42 YEARS OF MY LIFE I’VE OFTEN ASKED. AND THOUSANDS OF OTHER ADULTS AND YOUTH HAVE ASKED IF I EVER MATTER TO THE SCOUTS I NEVER DID THERE’S DEFINITELY A PRICE THAT WOULD FEEL LIKE AN APOLOGY A REAL APOLOGY AND THAT’S WHAT THEY WANT. THEY WANT A REAL APOLOGY AND THE ONLY WAY THAT THAT AN ORGANIZATION WITH BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN ASSETS CAN APOLOGIZE WITH MONEY. IT’S BEEN THREE YEARS SINCE STEPHEN’S FIRST SPOKE OUT ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCE AND HE SAYS HE WILL NEVER BE SILENT AGAIN. I DON’T THINK THE SCOUT SHOULD EXIST AFTER THIS AND THAT’S A VERY HARD THING FOR ME TO SAY. AS A YOUTH I WANTED NOTHING MORE THAN TO BE A VOICEMAIL. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS LOOK AT A POSTER OR ONE OF THE BOOKS OR A NORMAL ROCKWELL PAINTING. TO SEE HOW GREAT THE SCOUTING LIFE WAS AND I WANTED THAT DREAM. I GOT THE NIGHTMARE INSTEAD. WHILE THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA HAVE THEIR NEXT BANKRUPTCY COURT HEARING IN APRIL WHERE STEVENS IS ATTORNEY. JOSHUA GILLEPSI SAYS
Former Arkansas Boy Scout reacts to proposed sexual abuse compensation
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Updated: 9:54 PM CDT Mar 21, 2021
According to court documents filed in March, the Boy Scouts of America have proposed a victim's compensation fund of at least $300 million for the more than 83,000 individuals that have filed sexual abuse claims against the organization.One of those victims is William Stevens of Little Rock, Arkansas. Stevens alleges he suffered sexual abuse when he was a Boy Scout in the Quapaw Area Council in 1979 and 1980. We spoke with Stevens and his attorney, Joshua Gillespie, about their thoughts on the initial compensation plan. "All the money in the world will not take away what was allowed to happen to me and what they covered up," said Stevens. "It's the largest sex abuse case in the history of the world against an organization. And that's very hard to fathom."In the Boy Scouts of America Reorganization plan that was filed March 1, The BSA "intend to request the voluntary commitments of Local Councils to make their respective contributions" that will total at least $300 million. This means local councils like the Quapaw Area Council have to contribute to the fund. "The estimates are that their settlement is approximately $6,000 per claim," said Stevens. "That's what the abuse has suffered is worth to them. You know for me, for 42 and a half years that really made equaled out to about $141.17 a year for the last 42 years of my life. I've often asked, and thousands of other adults and youth have asked if I ever mattered to the scouts. I never did."
According to court documents filed in March, the Boy Scouts of America have proposed a victim's compensation fund of at least $300 million for the more than 83,000 individuals that have filed sexual abuse claims against the organization.
One of those victims is William Stevens of Little Rock, Arkansas. Stevens alleges he suffered sexual abuse when he was a Boy Scout in the Quapaw Area Council in 1979 and 1980. We spoke with Stevens and his attorney, Joshua Gillespie, about their thoughts on the initial compensation plan.
"All the money in the world will not take away what was allowed to happen to me and what they covered up," said Stevens. "It's the largest sex abuse case in the history of the world against an organization. And that's very hard to fathom."
In the Boy Scouts of America Reorganization plan that was filed March 1, The BSA "intend to request the voluntary commitments of Local Councils to make their respective contributions" that will total at least $300 million. This means local councils like the Quapaw Area Council have to contribute to the fund.
"The estimates are that their settlement is approximately $6,000 per claim," said Stevens. "That's what the abuse has suffered is worth to them. You know for me, for 42 and a half years that really made equaled out to about $141.17 a year for the last 42 years of my life. I've often asked, and thousands of other adults and youth have asked if I ever mattered to the scouts. I never did."
