$25 million lawsuit against Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints….
January 25, 2011: Six Portland men sued the Mormon church and the Boy Scouts of America on Wednesday, seeking more than $25 million for alleged sexual abuse by a church teacher and Scout leader more than 20 years ago.
The lawsuit contends that Timur Van Dykes, 51, molested Boy Scouts in Troop 719, which was supervised by the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints. The lawsuit includes two brothers who dropped a previous complaint. It does not name Dykes as a defendant.
Dykes, a registered sex offender who now lives in Southwest Portland, has been convicted of at least 26 sex crimes since 1983. He is one of
about 50 Oregon leaders expelled by the Boy Scouts for sex abuse has been convicted of at least 26 sex crimes since 1983. He is one of
since 1946, according to confidential Boy Scout files and summaries obtained by The Oregonian.
The number of Boy Scout leaders ejected in Oregon eclipses the number of abusive priests identified statewide in the recent Catholic Church
sex-abuse scandal and presents an enormous potential legal liability or both the Mormon Church and the Boy Scouts.
Under Oregon’s flexible statute of limitations, victims of sexual abuse can bring cases once they’ve discovered how the abuse affected
them, sometimes decades after the actual crimes. The lawsuit reserves the option to seek punitive damages against both
the Boy Scouts and the Mormon church. Comment: Churches need to realize that they can be held liable for punitive damages for crimes on their premises by third party organizations. Churches need to protect themselves against risks from accidents on church property, fire, vandalism and theft to allegations of sexual abuse committed third party identities allowed to conduct business or activities on church premises. Your insurance in most incidents, will not cover liability costs of criminal acts committed by third party organizations on your premises. Call us today to learn how we can assist you in protecting your church from incidents of this nature.