Plaintiffs have come forward alleging abuse by former Boy Scouts leaders at the Fire Mountain Scout Camp in Mount Vernon decades ago. PCVA attorneys Michael Pfau, Vinnie Nappo and Ben Watson have filed 10 sexual abuse cases against the Mount Baker Council, the Boy Scouts council responsible for all troops in Snohomish County. More lawsuits are anticipated.
Complaints allege that the Mount Baker Council knew or should have known that the abusers were a risk to children and that they should not have been allowed to continue volunteering. Records kept by the Boy Scouts organization that were previously kept secret document instances of scout abuse that took place by members of the Mount Baker Council at the Fire Mountain Scout Camp. In some instances, the council would take the extraordinary action of moving offenders to other troops rather than bar them from serving.
Scout leaders who are mentioned in the lawsuits include Michael Mauch, Garth Snively, Charles Grewe and Allen Ewalt, all of whom had a history of sexually abusing children in the past but were still allowed to volunteer.
“They knew for decades that their scout troops were being infiltrated, and they didn’t warn anyone,” said Michael Pfau. “Parents weren’t allowed to make their own choice about whether scouting was safe for their children.”
In the Boy Scouts federal bankruptcy case, more than 82,000 sexual abuse claims have been documented, a number that Michael thinks is low. “The amount of abuse within the Boy Scouts is really staggering,” he said. “Assume that 82,000 is an under-reported number.”
Media coverage about the lawsuits:
‘Staggering’: Everett Boy Scouts face more sexual abuse lawsuits, HeraldNet, 3/28/23