The Boy Scouts of America filed for bankruptcy protection late Monday, after sexual abuse lawsuits against one of nation's oldest youth organizations continued to mount, The Los Angeles Times reports. The Scouts filed a Chapter 11 petition in the state of Delaware, after states like California and New Jersey expanded legal options for victims to sue. For example, California has a new law that allows a three-year "loopback window" that victims can use in cases that were previously too old to prosecute because of statutes of limitation. The Chapter 11 will allow the Scouts to reorganize its financials, while lawyers for some victims claim it will also shield billions in assets from being tapped to settle abuse claims. The organization will not say how many abuse lawsuits they are currently facing, but plaintiffs' attorneys say the lawsuits could number well into the hundreds. "While we know nothing can undo the tragic abuse that victims suffered, we believe the Chapter 11 process — with the proposed Trust structure — will provide equitable compensation to all victims while maintaining the BSA’s important mission,” Scouts CEO Roger Mosby said in a statement.
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