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Boy Scouts Accused of Cover Up

Written by "http://www.keyt.com/about/bios/news/2178057.html">Tracy Lehr

Story Created: Jan 25, 2012 at 4:13 PM PST

Story Updated: Jan 26, 2012 at 6:26 PM PST

An attorney for the Boys Scouts of America and the Los Padres Council in Santa Barbara argued against a tentative ruling that could force the release of documents related to sexual abuse within the BSA.

The ruling would shed light on accusations that the Boy Scouts never reported to police.

Attorney Tim Hale says that was almost the case back in 2007.

That's when Hale says the mother of a 13-year-old scout told a Boy Scout executive that her son said he had been sexually molested by troop leader Al Stein at a Scout Christmas tree lot in Goleta.

Stein was a trusted former Eagle Scout.

The mother claims the troop wanted to investigate the allegations without her going to local law enforcement.

She refused and went to the police.

In 2009 Stein pleaded no contest for crimes involving the teen and a younger boy who had visited the tree lot.

Stein was released from jail and is said to be a homeless registered sex offender.

Attorneys for the family seeking punitive damages in the civil lawsuit are hopeful the ruling will stick.

Tim Hale says if that is the case, it will be unprecedented and the BSA will be forced to hand over decades of secret documents.

Hale says he will be flying to New York to depose a Boy Scout executive who used to work in Goleta.

The civil case goes back to court for a conference next month.

A trial will follow in April if a settlement isn't reached before then.

Hale says the case is a reminder that parents need to be hyper
vigilant when other adults are with their children.
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