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	Former Boy Scouts Sue Organization, Church, Scoutmaster after Being Sexually Abused By Chris Harrell Pioneer Press June 29, 2011 http://www.twincities.com/localnews/ci_18373034 Two former Boy Scouts have filed suit against the organization and the Burnsville Scoutmaster they say sexually abused them. Identified in the lawsuits as John Doe 170 and 180, the Scouts are suing Peter Robert Stibal II in Ramsey County District Court. Stibal was sentenced Friday to 21 years in prison for sexually abusing four former Scouts. The lawsuits accuse Stibal of sexually abusing John Doe 170, now an adult, while on a 2009 Catholic mission to Mexico, and John Doe 180, still a minor, while on other trips in 2008. Filed Monday, the lawsuits name the Boy Scouts of America and the Northern Star Council Boy Scouts of America, a Twin Cities chapter. The suit involving the older former Scout also includes Mary, Mother of the Church Catholic community in Burnsville and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. The national and local Boy Scouts groups were negligent in the hiring, retention and supervision of Stibal, the lawsuits state. Both groups "should have known the danger" Stibal was capable of committing against the boys. Allegations against Stibal, 46, began to surface in October 2009 when a former Scout went to Burnsville police to report Stibal sexually abused him. Three additional victims also came forward. Those former Scouts said the sexual abuse occurred between 2003 and 2008 at Stibal's cabin in Stearns County, his home, a Cottage Grove drive-in and a movie theater in Eagan, according to a criminal complaint. The assaults happened when the boys were ages 11 to 15, they told authorities. Stibal was sentenced for abusing the four Scouts and possessing child pornography. He also was required to register as a predatory offender and pay restitution. In this week's lawsuits, the former Scouts' attorney, Patrick Noaker, said the local chapter and national Boy Scouts were at fault because "they had policies in place and they didn't follow them. As a result, this guy got access to these kids and was able to hurt them." In response to the lawsuits, the Northern Star Council stated: "Scouting has been on the forefront of developing youth protection procedures throughout its history and continues to advance its efforts to educate parents and community leaders about keeping kids safe, as society learns more about the dangers and challenges facing children." The Boy Scouts of America could not be reached for comment. Stibal's attorney also could not be reached. Allegations involving the Burnsville church and archdiocese in the older former Scout's lawsuit say the church was negligent for allowing Stibal to chaperone mission trips in 2008 and 2009. The Rev. James Zappa wrote a letter to his parishioners at Mary, Mother of the Church, noting Stibal was never employed by the parish nor put in a leadership position on those trips; he was simply one of many. Zappa reassured the Burnsville parish that school staff - teachers, volunteers and other personnel - had undergone background checks and "are devoted to the education, development and safety of your children." He also urged parents to talk to their children about "inappropriate touching and sexual abuse" in order to give them the resources to ask for help. Zappa expressed "deep pain and concern for the victims who have been abused, and for their families and friends." Chris Harrell can be reached at 651-228-5116.
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