The Record: Lost Honor

The Record
September 18, 2012

http://www.northjersey.com/news/opinions/170134686_The_Record__Lost_honor.html

THE SORDID, sickening account of widespread child molestation over a 20-year period by leaders affiliated with the Boy Scouts of America carries forth a disturbing societal trend grown all-too-familiar: Leaders of a respected institution meant to help build character look the other way when discovering that children in their care are being violated by adult supervisors.

We saw this misguided culture in the sexual abuse scandal that has rocked the Catholic Church in recent years, and we saw it again last fall in the sexual abuse patterns involving former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky. In those cases, and in the case of the Scouts — as reported in a major investigation by the Los Angeles Times — reports of sexual abuse and molestation were put on the back burner, matters to be handled "in-house," in many instances without taking the initiative to notify police or parents.

The Times reviewed some 1,600 confidential files — so-called "perversion files" — dating from 1970 to 1991 and found that the Scouts, instead of reporting potential abuse or showing concern for victims, instead frequently urged the admitted adult offenders to quietly step aside, so as to preserve the name and reputation of the institution.

According to the Times, in more than 500 instances the Scouts learned of the alleged abuse not from police, but from boys, parents, staff members and anonymous tips. In about 80 percent of those cases, there was no indication Scouting officials made any attempt to contact police, in apparent violation of some state laws. Since the 1970s, New Jersey statute has required anyone who suspects child abuse to report it.

The files examined include one Pennsylvania case from the mid-1970s where a scoutmaster was accused by five Boy Scouts of rape and other sex crimes. The man abruptly resigned, saying he had to travel more for work. "Good luck to you in your new position," a top troop representative wrote back. In a form letter the organization sent to some leaders being dismissed over allegations, it was stated: "We are making no accusations and will not release this information to anyone, so our action in no way will affect your standing in the community."

Standing in the community? What about criminal conduct? What about the unspeakable abuse of children?

The Scouts say they have put in extra safeguards in recent years, and in 2010 added a requirement that members must "report even suspicion of abuse directly to local authorities."

One would think such a dictum would be understood, that an organization that has so long prided itself on its "moral clarity" would not to have remind its leaders to do the right thing when it comes to protecting the very boys it portends to be guiding.