The Boys and Girls Club of America is currently facing allegations of sexual abuse dating back years or even decades. These allegations are deeply concerning, and they could have a major impact on the organization’s reputation and ability to serve children in the future.
- A Youth Organization Injury Attorney Can Help
- Boys & Girls Club of America Promote Positive Behavior
- About Child Sex Abuse
- About Child Sex Abuse
- Children Who Might Be at Risk of Sexual Abuse
- Examples of Boys & Girls Club Sexual Abuse Cases
- How to File Lawsuit Claims Against the Boys & Girls Clubs and Other Young Group Organizations
- Proving a Civil Lawsuit Claim to Ensure Compensation
- How Our Boys and Girls Club Sexual Abuse Lawyers Can Help
- Boys and Girls Club of America Sexual Abuse FAQs
- Speak to a Boys & Girls Club Sexual Abuse Attorney Today
- Resources:
Were you sexually abused by someone associated with the Boys and Girls Club of America? If so, it is important to speak with an experienced personal injury lawyer at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC, as soon as possible. You may be entitled to compensation for the pain and suffering you have endured.
Contact a Boys and Girls Club sexual abuse lawyer at (888) 424-5757 (toll-free phone number) or use the contact form today for immediate legal advice and schedule a free consultation. All confidential or sensitive information you share with our legal team remains private through an attorney-client relationship.
Childhood sexual abuse occurs nearly everywhere, but it is most common in places where adults have easy access to children. Organizations like the Boys & Girls Clubs of America pose risks of abuse from counselors, camp employees, organization directors, or older campers by allowing unsupervised access to children.
Sexual offenses at the Boys & Girls Clubs could lead to lasting harm for victims. If you or someone you know has suffered abuse, hire our law firm and experienced abuse lawyers now.
In 2019, Hearst Connecticut Media conducted a six-month inquiry into the youth development Boys & Girls Clubs of America organization.
According to published reports, the investigation revealed more than 250 instances of childhood sexual abuse committed by employees, volunteers, and others at the Boys & Girls Clubs. Some victims were as young as 6 years old.
A Youth Organization Injury Attorney Can Help
The sexual abuse attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers are committed to holding the Boys & Girls Club and other youth organizations fully accountable for sexual abuse on their premises by their employees and guests.
We represent sexual abuse survivors harmed by leaders of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA), Boy Scouts of America, Girl Scouts of America, and other youth organizations. Our law firm handles all sexual abuse allegations against employees to hold sexual predators legally and financially accountable.
Boys & Girls Club of America Promote Positive Behavior
The Boys & Girls Clubs of America is a national organization that claims to promote positive child behavior and character development. It provides allegedly safe places for children to learn, grow, and develop in most major cities across the United States. Boys & Girls Clubs have been around since 1860.
More than 4,000 local Boys & Girls Clubs are affiliates of the organization, serving more than four million children. While many “Club kids” benefitted from positive experiences at their local clubs, many others suffered at the hands of sexual abusers.
About Child Sex Abuse
Child sexual abuse refers to forced or coerced sexual acts between a perpetrator and a child under seventeen.
Sexual conduct can refer to physical touching, but it can also refer to non-physical acts, such as persuading a child to take photographs in sexual positions.
Sexual abuse is a serious crime that can cause long-lasting emotional and psychological effects on the victim.
Many children who suffer sexual offense experience outcomes such as:
- Depression or anxiety
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Disassociation
- Eating disorders
- Trouble sleeping
- Higher risk of sexual promiscuity
- Sexually transmitted diseases
- Drug and alcohol abuse
- Self-harm
- Suicidal thoughts or actions
A child who experienced sexual abuse or violence at Boys & Girls Clubs of America might suffer the consequences for life. Child sexual abuse can have lasting adverse effects on a child’s emotions and development.
It could also have a physical impact, either directly (i.e., physical abuse, pregnancy) or indirectly (i.e., eating disorders, self-harm, suicide).
It is critical to spot the signs of sexual abuse at a Boys & Girls Club to intervene as quickly as possible. Some children might be more at risk of sexual trauma than others.
About Child Sex Abuse
Child sexual abuse refers to forced or coerced sexual acts between a perpetrator and a child under seventeen.
Sexual conduct can refer to physical touching, but it can also refer to non-physical acts, such as persuading a child to take photographs in sexual positions.
Sexual abuse is a serious crime that can cause long-lasting emotional and psychological effects on the victim.
Many children who suffer sexual offense experience outcomes such as:
- Depression or anxiety
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Disassociation
- Eating disorders
- Trouble sleeping
- Higher risk of sexual promiscuity
- Sexually transmitted diseases
- Drug and alcohol abuse
- Self-harm
- Suicidal thoughts or actions
A child who experienced sexual abuse or violence at Boys & Girls Clubs of America might suffer the consequences for life. Child sexual abuse can have lasting adverse effects on a child’s emotions and development.
It could also have a physical impact, either directly (i.e., physical abuse, pregnancy) or indirectly (i.e., eating disorders, self-harm, suicide).
It is critical to spot the signs of sexual abuse at a Boys & Girls Club to intervene as quickly as possible. Some children might be more at risk of sexual trauma than others.
Children Who Might Be at Risk of Sexual Abuse
Unfortunately, any child could become a victim of sexual abuse. However, some circumstances more often lead to child abuse crimes than others. As a parent, protecting your children takes awareness of the most common risk factors involved in sexual abuse cases.
The following risk factors can serve as red flags for abuse opportunities:
- Overnight trips: Overnight club trips or camping excursions with a Boys & Girls Club could increase the risk of sexual offenses. Overnight stays come with more opportunities to get children alone and sexually abuse them.
- Activities that involve locker rooms: Many sexual abuse cases involving clubs and schools happen in locker rooms. Avoiding activities that might involve changing, such as swimming or sports, could increase your child’s protection from inappropriate sexual conduct by others.
- Negligence at the club level: Watch the Boys & Girls Club facility for signs of negligence, such as lack of child supervision or clubs that allow adult staff members to be alone with members. Adult men in positions of trust with children are incredibly risky.
Signs that your child might be suffering sexual abuse at a Boys & Girls Club include not wanting to return to the club, fear or anxiety about seeing a particular counselor, feelings of guilt or shame, symptoms of depression, or inappropriate knowledge of sexual subjects.
If you notice possible signs of sexual abuse, broach the subject with your child. Then, take action if you suspect abuse by contacting law enforcement in filing a sexual abuse lawsuit against the predator.
Examples of Boys & Girls Club Sexual Abuse Cases
Thousands of alleged child sexual abuse cases have involved Boys & Girls Clubs of America. One of the most recent cases named the Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich, Connecticut, as the defendant. The lawsuit alleges that three employees knew of at least nine boys sexually abused by a counselor in the 1970s and 1980s yet did nothing to intervene.
Another case from December 2018 involves Sonoma County Boys & Girls Clubs allegedly covering up child sex abuse by the former athletic director of the Sonoma Valley Boys and Girls Clubs. Victims ranged from pre-teens to teenagers.
One winning sexual abuse lawsuit against the Tacoma Boys & Girls Club gave the abuse victim more than $1.5 million in damages. The case involved a volunteer who sexually abused the victim in the 1980s, starting when the victim was a fifth-grade boy.
Numerous Cases of Abuse
The case focused mainly on the lack of proper employee training and a failure to conduct adequate background checks by the Boys & Girls Club that contributed to the incident.
In Illinois, public records show at least five sexual abuse allegations against local Boys & Girls Clubs. In Chicago (two counts), Clubs involved Bloomington, Carpentersville, and Carbondale.
In Jun 2021, then 66-year-old former Mount Kisco, NY Boys and Girls Club counselor at Northern Westchester faced charges of sexual abuse allegations, exploitation, and harassment for grooming molesting, and harassing pre-teen and then makes between 1980 and 19993.
Between the 1940s and the late 1960s, many children were allegedly sexually abused by Dr. Reginald Archibald, a volunteer at the Madison Square Boys’ Club in NYC.
Many sexual predators in youth organizations face civil lawsuits and criminal cases that result in years in prison. The organization can also be held legally accountable for the molestation cover-up, failure to perform background checks, and not providing a safe environment for children.
How to File Lawsuit Claims Against the Boys & Girls Clubs and Other Young Group Organizations
The legal process for a civil lawsuit is complex and can take many months if not years. Victims deserve an attorney that can protect their best interests and handle all the navigational difficulties that come with filing a lawsuit.
There are several steps you must take to file suit against the Boys & Girls Clubs or other youth group organizations, including:
- File necessary claim paperwork at least 90 days before your lawsuit’s statute of limitations deadline.
- Notify your local police department about sexual abuse to trigger an official investigation. Keep all records, such as incident reports and court documents, for your lawsuit.
- Gather evidence against the Boys & Girls Club organization – including internal emails – to show how they negligently failed to protect children from sexual abuse.
You have the option to file a criminal claim with the Department of Justice, which can possibly lead to more severe penalties for your defendant(s).
For more information about filing a lawsuit against the Boys & Girls Club, contact our sexual abuse lawyers today at (888) 424-5757. We are ready to help you receive the justice you deserve.
Proving a Civil Lawsuit Claim to Ensure Compensation
Typically, the plaintiff (injured party) must prove how the alleged sexual predator led to the victim’s damages through one or more types of sexual abuse. Unfortunately, there are usually limited financial resources to hold the perpetrator accountable.
However, our law firm has been highly successful at holding the organization responsible for its failure to conduct background checks, provide adequate supervision, and protect children under their care from sexual predators.
Our law firm resolves cases by proving the four elements of civil tort law, including:
- The defendants (the alleged sexual predator & their employer) had a duty to the plaintiff (the children under their supervision)
- The defendants breached that duty of care
- The breach led to injury or damages to the plaintiff, which includes emotional distress
- A direct relationship existed between the injury or damage and the defendant’s negligence
The Boys & Girls Clubs of America must have negligently failed in one or more ways, allowing a child predator to access their facility.
Personal injury lawyers can prove that your child’s sexual abuse falls under the legal definition of negligence, which prevents the Boys & Girls Club from using “outsiders” as a defense for their employee-conducted background checks.
Did Sexual Abuse Occur?
Did an organization that you belonged to allow leaders and volunteers to abuse children sexually? Are you a victim?
Call us today at (888) 424-5757 to hold an organization accountable for allocating limited resources to protect children instead of protecting adult assets.
How Our Boys and Girls Club Sexual Abuse Lawyers Can Help
The Boys & Girls Clubs of America organization operates more than 4,000 locations across the U.S., with youth ages six through 18. The youth group also has chapters in countries around the world.
Unfortunately, some parents have reported that their child’s school failed to conduct sufficient background checks on their employees, leading to sexual predators having easy access.
The Boys & Girls Club has had more than 800 cases of child sexual abuse reported in the last decade. Some of these allegations led to convictions, while others did not because federal law restricts how much employers can be forced to pay for sexually abused children’s damages.
If your child was sexually abused while enrolled in the Boys & Girls Club or at another non-profit organization that did not act responsibly, you need to file a claim before the statute of limitations expires.
Our reputable sexual abuse lawyers can prepare your case against any child care facility throughout the United States, including:
- The Roman Catholic Church
- Southern Baptists
- The Boy Scouts of America
- Boys and Girls Clubs
- Big Brothers & Big Sisters
Our law firm will find out if the Boys and Girls Club had enough evidence to protect your child from their negligent hiring practices. It could include conducting sufficient background checks on employees who have regular contact with children, including volunteers.
Unfortunately, sexual predators usually commit their crimes repeatedly, covering their tracks by using a different name each time they apply to become a volunteer.
If your child was sexually assaulted by someone who worked at the Boys and Girls Club or another organization in a position of trust, our law firm could hold them accountable for failing to ensure that all employees and volunteers were free from previous sexual misconduct.
At the Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC, our law firm is committed to seeking justice for children who have been sexually abused at any non-profit organization. Our personal injury attorneys work closely with victims’ families to ensure they receive maximum compensation for their injuries & damages.
Contact us for a free case evaluation.
Boys and Girls Club of America Sexual Abuse FAQs
Below are some frequently asked questions raised by victims of sexual abuse at Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Should you have additional questions, we invite you to contact our law firm for a free consultation with an experienced attorney.
Speak to a Boys & Girls Club Sexual Abuse Attorney Today
If you or your child is a victim of sexual abuse at a Boys & Girls Club location, contact Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC. Our sexual assault injury attorneys have years of experience handling these claims in Illinois.
Our trial lawyers will discuss your case during a free 100% confidential consultation at our local law office to understand your rights. Let us help you fight back against the grave injustice of child sexual abuse on a contingency fee basis.
Contact our law firm today at (888) 424-5757 (toll-free phone call) or through the contact form to schedule a free consultation to seek justice and legal action against the predator and nonprofit organization. All discussions with our legal team remain confidential through an attorney-client relationship.
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