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Full Lawsuit Text: Mormons, Boy Scouts Sued
By Matt C. Abbott
Renew America
November 21, 2009
http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/abbott/091121
Readers will note that I've covered various aspects of the clergy sex abuse scandal in the Catholic Church rather extensively over the last few years. And, sadly, there's been quite a lot to cover. Too much, in fact.
But other churches and groups have had to deal with sex abuse lawsuits as well. Case in point: Portland attorney Kelly Clark, who's been involved in legal action against the Archdiocese of Portland (click here), is representing three male plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the Mormons and the Boy Scouts.
From a Nov. 16 San Francisco Appeal story (excerpt; click here for the full article):
'Three former Sunnyvale residents announced today they have sued the Mormon church, the Boy Scouts of America and their stepfather in San Francisco Superior Court for alleged childhood sexual abuse.
'The three men, who are brothers now aged 39, 41 and 43, claim that William E. Knox, 65, a Mormon church and Boy Scouts leader, molested them repeatedly in Sunnyvale between 1977 and 1987.
'A brother identified as John Doe 2, who now lives in Georgia, said, 'I'm a victim and a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. It was devastating to me. I've been abused hundreds of times over several years.'
'The brother alleged, 'During the abuse, I told the church leadership responsible to protect me and they did nothing to protect me.'
'Knox married the brothers' mother in 1979 and remains married to her, but the brothers are now estranged from Knox and their mother, according to Kelly Clark, a lawyer for the men.
'The lawsuit alleges that before the marriage, Knox used his position as a church elder and youth leader to begin abusing them when they were members of a church-chartered Boy Scouts troop for which he was assistant leader. The molestation began during individual sleepovers at Knox's Sunnyvale apartment, according to the lawsuit.
'After the marriage, the sexual assaults allegedly continued at the family's Sunnyvale home, in Knox's car on trips to church and Boy Scouts activities, and during Scouts camping trips, according to the lawsuit....'
The following is a PDF copy of the complaint in its entirety.
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