The Boy Scouts filed for Chapter 11 in February 2020 expecting about 1,700 claimants and by the bar date faced 82,209 unique and timely abuse claims. The plan, approved by the abuse claimants and confirmed in 2022, built a trust of about $2.48 billion. A 2024 Supreme Court ruling undercut its third-party releases, and by late 2025 payouts were a small fraction of allowed claims while many claimants had died waiting.
Who's who
- Richard G. AndrewsU.S. District Judge who affirmed confirmation of the plan
- Neil Gorsuch+5 more episodesJustice who wrote the majority in Harrington v. Purdue Pharma
- Brett Kavanaugh+1 more episodeJustice who wrote the dissent in Harrington v. Purdue Pharma
- Timothy HaleVictims' attorney who criticized the claims-valuation methodology
Where it happens
- DelawareFederal bankruptcy court where the Chapter 11 case was filed
- Third Circuit Court of AppealsDismissed the release challenges as statutorily moot in May 2025
Timeline
- February 18, 2020Boy Scouts of America files for Chapter 11 in Delaware
- November 16, 2020Bar date: 82,209 unique and timely abuse claims
- September 8, 2022Bankruptcy plan confirmed
- June 27, 2024Supreme Court rules 5-4 in Harrington v. Purdue Pharma against non-consensual third-party releases
- May 13, 2025Third Circuit dismisses release challenges as statutorily moot
- January 12, 2026Certiorari denied, ending the case
Still debated
The trust's size differs between the court's $2.48 billion and press reports, and the council contribution is given as $500 or $515 million. The payment denominators have never been reconciled, and no filing motive has been found by any court.
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