6 plaintiffs settle Oregon Boy Scout sex abuse cases; amounts remain confidential

6 Oregon men settle Boy Scout sex abuse cases

PORTLAND, Ore. — Six men who alleged they were sexually abused by an Oregon Boy Scouts leader in the 1980s have settled their lawsuits against the group’s national organization for undisclosed amounts.

The settlements include the case of one man, Kerry Lewis, who was awarded nearly $20 million in damages from Boys Scouts of America in a trial that ended in April. It was believed to be the largest such award against the national organization.

A jury found the Texas-based group negligent for allowing a former assistant scoutmaster, Timur Dykes, to associate with Scouts after he admitted to a Scouts official in 1983 that he had molested 17 boys. The verdict came as the Boy Scouts, a congressionally chartered organization, mark their centennial.