Mormon Church Claims
Our Experience with the Mormon Church: Over the past 20 years we have represented a large number of survivors of childhood sexual abuse who have claims against the Mormon Church. Many of our clients were sexually abused as a result of a Mormon-sponsored Boy Scout Troop, often by a Mormon Scout leader or volunteer. One of the lawyers featured on this website, Michael T. Pfau, is one of the only lawyers in the country who has obtained a jury verdict against the Mormon Church for a client who was sexually abused as a child. If you were sexually abused by a Mormon volunteer or as a result of Mormon activities, including a Mormon Scout leader or as a result of a Mormon Boy Scout Troop, please contact us for a free, confidential consultation to learn your legal options. Even if you did not file a claim in the Boy Scout bankruptcy you may still be able to pursue a legal claim against the Mormon Church for the sexual abuse you suffered. However, the Boy Scout bankruptcy could impact your legal rights so please contact us as soon as possible.
Proposed Mormon Settlement Fund:
The Mormon Church has proposed to settle all current and future Boy Scout-related claims against the Mormon Church for $250 million. Approximately 2,300 abuse survivors in the bankruptcy identified the Mormon Church as the organization who chartered their Boy Scout unit, but the real number may be closer to 5,000 because roughly 54% of survivors who filed a claim in the bankruptcy did not identify a charter organization.
The proposed $250 million would settle the 2,300-5,000 current claims against the Mormon Church and would also be used to settle the claims of abuse survivors who come forward in the future with a Boy Scout-related claim against the Mormon Church. This means the approximately 2,300 – 5,000 abuse survivors who have a claim against the Mormon Church would receive an average of about $3,000 if the settlement funds are paid to all 82,500 abuse survivors, including the 75,000+ survivors who do not have a claim against the Mormon Church. However, that number could be considerably smaller depending on how much of the settlement is set aside for future claimants.
We believe the proposed settlement is not fair to our clients and other abuse survivors who have a claim against the Mormon Church because the Church reportedly has approximately $100 billion in investments. At a 2% interest rate, the Mormons are offering less than 1/10th of how much they make each year just off of interest from their investments. However, if the settlement is approved (either at $250M or a higher amount) it would likely be the only way for many survivors to obtain compensation from the Mormon Church. Please contact us to learn your legal options and to make sure you take steps to preserve any right you may have to compensation. Even if you did not file a claim in the bankruptcy you may still be eligible for compensation from any settlement that is reached with the Mormon Church.
2,300+ Boy Scout Claims Against the Mormon Church:
According to the official Tort Claimants’ Committee, approximately 2,300 abuse survivors who filed a claim in the Boy Scouts’ bankruptcy identified the Mormon Church as the organization who “chartered” their Scouting unit. A “charter” organization is the local organization who chartered or sponsored an individual Scouting unit. For example, local Mormon churches are called a “ward.” If a ward wanted to have a Boy Scout Troop, the ward would fill out an application with the Boy Scouts, pay the Boy Scouts a fee, and get approval to charter a Boy Scout Troop. The local Mormon ward was then responsible for selecting the Scout leaders and volunteers for the Troop, and was also responsible for supervising the children who participated in the Troop.
For a very long time, young Mormon boys were required to participate in Boy Scouts, which is likely why over 2,300 claimants in the bankruptcy identified the Mormon Church as the charter of their Scouting unit. In our experience, the charter organization is often the most liable party when a child was sexually abused in the Boy Scouts because the charter organization is usually the entity that would ignore a complaint or warning signs that a Scout leader might be sexually abusing children. If you may have a legal claim against the Mormon Church, please contact us to learn your options.
