Bleeding Heartland's Kurt Meyer Shares Valuable Insights Into the History and Current Legal Landscape Surrounding Boy Scouts Abuse
September 10, 2025
In the ongoing legal battles surrounding the Boy Scouts of America and the sexual abuse scandal, it is more important than ever to understand the history and context of this institutional crisis. In a recent article for Bleeding Heartland, author Kurt Meyer provides a compelling look at this very issue. The piece, titled "Scouts' Dishonor: An American Institution Battles Sexual Abuse," is a must-read for anyone following the current litigation and seeking to understand the decades of abuse that led to it. We encourage you to read the full article here: Scouts' Dishonor: An American institution battles sexual abuse.
Below is an excerpt from the article where the author writes "I eventually concluded the most effective way to transmit consequential content and avoid submerging everyone under a sea of content was to share seven “findings” deemed most essential." Those seven findings are shared below.
- ❝ Finding 1: Many decades passed before information about Scouting abuse was publicly available. The dam of secrecy began to break in the 1990s. In 1994, journalist Patrick Boyle authored a book entitled “Scout’s Honor (the inspiration for the Netflix documentary cited above.) In 2012, a lawsuit in Oregon led to the release of the “perversion files” referenced by Colonel Roosevelt, which included abusers’ names.
- Finding 2: When confronted with abuse issues, the national Boy Scout organization responded like many other large organizations, both companies and non-profit entities. As Boyle describes it: “Protect the organization first, basically deny there’s a problem, and if there (is) a problem, minimize it by saying it doesn’t happen a whole lot. …Also to shield themselves with the great work they’re doing.”
- Finding 3: Many Scouting sexual abuse episodes follow a similar pattern. Leaders first befriend the boy(s), second, mentor him/them, third, molestation occurs. When abuse is discovered, leaders sometimes move on to other troops where, tragically, this cycle is repeated. (Note: There are exceptions to this cycle, of course, such as the apparent rise in abuse and assault among the youth themselves.)
- Finding 4: I was startled to encounter one of Boyle’s observations after talking with molesters. “Certain molesters relate to kids better than their parents do. …These guys are very good at connecting with kids. A lot of these guys are much better than a lot of parents at listening to kids, giving them the space they need, and recognizing when a kid needs talking and when he needs space.” What does this say about the parenting skills many of us bring (or brought) to the child-rearing task?
- Finding 5: Homosexuality and pedophilia are not closely linked. One does not presage the other; experts find minimal correlation. Most child molesters are heterosexual. Abuse is about power and control, not sexual orientation. Equally important, being abused does not make the victim a homosexual.
- Finding 6: Boy Scout membership has fallen significantly in recent decades, including a major drop in 2019 when the Mormon Church (formerly a Scouting sponsor) withdrew from the organization. This longstanding decline is attributed to diverse factors: busy family schedules, competition from other youth-serving entities including youth sports, COVID-19, organizational changes regarding LGBTQ+ issues, … and, yes, sexual abuse allegations. Although precise numbers for Iowa were not readily available, it seems the state’s trend roughly mimics the national decline, approximately one-fifth what membership numbers were in the early 1970s.
- Finding 7: Currently, there’s a $2.46 billion settlement fund (the Scouting Settlement Trust) to compensate survivors, including an estimated 30-40% anticipated for legal fees. Claimants are likely to receive significantly less than the Court says an individual’s trauma is worth, with more than 7,000 opting for a one-time $3,500 payment. The Trust began distributing initial payments in April 2023. By mid-May 2025, the Trust had distributed approximately $138 million to 20,000 survivors. While this number may seem large, remember that damages calculated as of summer 2025 reached $7 billion.❞
On a concluding note, Jason J. Joy & Associates is still receiving and inviting those who have been exposed to wrongdoings to come forward and explore legal options in a private and safe environment. We are currently helping many victims navigate a path to compensation for the traumas they have endured.
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As reported in the Washington Post December 5th, 2025 by Amudalat Ajasa A prominent scientific journal, Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, has retracted a widely cited 2000 study that previously concluded the active ingredient in Roundup, glyphosate, posed no cancer risk to humans. The retraction was initiated after evidence emerged suggesting the study was heavily influenced by the herbicide's seller, Monsanto (now owned by Bayer), in an apparent effort to disguise potential health risks. Specific concerns cited by the journal include the strong possibility that Monsanto employees contributed to the writing without proper acknowledgment, that the authors may have received undisclosed payments from the company , and that the findings were based solely on unpublished Monsanto studies. This misconduct, discovered through internal company emails during federal litigation, is significant because the faulty research served as a bedrock for regulatory decisions regarding glyphosate for decades. Summary of Alleged Faulty Study and Monsanto's Influence The Study and Its Conclusion: The retracted paper, published in 2000, was a "bedrock study" that concluded: "under present and expected conditions of new use, there is no potential for Roundup herbicide to pose a health risk to humans." The Retraction: The scientific journal retracted the study due to a loss of confidence in its results and conclusions, citing the need to "maintain the integrity of the journal." Evidence of Undisclosed Influence: The co-editor in chief cited evidence suggesting that Monsanto employees "may have contributed to the writing of the article without proper acknowledgment as co authors." Undisclosed Payments: The retraction also noted that the study's authors may have been paid by Monsanto without disclosing it . Basis of Findings: The journal stated that the study's findings about cancer risk were "solely based on unpublished studies from Monsanto." Discovery of Influence: Monsanto's influence over the study was reportedly discovered through internal emails released during federal litigation against the company in 2017. Impact: The study "had a significant impact on regulatory decision-making regarding glyphosate and Roundup for decades," and was one of the most-cited papers on glyphosate safety, underpinning federal regulations for the pesticide. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) even cited it in its 2016 review of glyphosate. Context and Aftermath Bayer's Defense: Bayer (which acquired Monsanto in 2018) defended the chemical's safety and argued that Monsanto's involvement was appropriately cited in the acknowledgments, stating that glyphosate is the most extensively studied herbicide and that the "vast majority of published studies on glyphosate had no Monsanto involvement." Regulatory Stance: The EPA stated the retraction would not affect its current stance —which is that glyphosate is "not likely to be carcinogenic to humans"—because the agency does not directly rely on review articles like this one, but uses them to find other relevant individual studies. Litigation: Bayer has spent approximately $10 billion to settle lawsuits arguing the company did not warn customers about the negative health impacts of using Roundup. Read the full article in the Washington Post
In this series premiere episode, Founder & President of SOSCSA, Child Sexual Abuse Survivor & BSA Bankruptcy Claimant, Curtis Garrison interviews attorney Jason J Joy for an update on the BSA bankruptcy and discussing childhood abuse litigation for which Jason is an outspoken and experienced advocate. Jason's firm is actively litigating cases for many clients his law firm represents. This podcast is recommended for clients already represented, and for those who are still contemplating coming forward to establish a claim. Topics covered in this episode: Recent BSA Bankruptcy Trust report Lajun Claimants (Guam) v. Boy Scouts of America and their recent Petition For A Writ Of Certiorari to the U.S. Supreme Court The 1.5% initial payment, possible second payment time / total percentage Future Claims, BSA Councils, BSA Charters (churches, schools, etc) which there are over 100,000 entities possibly getting free of liability Mixed Claims explained We did not vote for this plan, they promised we would be paid in “Paid in Full” Plans to file an Amicus Brief Statute of Limitations
The Boy Scouts of America bankruptcy case, involving tens of thousands of survivors of childhood sexual abuse, is among the largest and most contentious mass tort proceedings in U.S. history. In this podcast, Attorney Jason Joy breaks down the latest ruling from the Third Circuit Court, which leaves many survivors of childhood sexual abuse with drastically underfunded compensation.