The Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) is a national organization of local chapters that provide voluntary after-school programs for young people. However, for years a number of sexual abuse allegations have been made against BGCA. According to an article in the Hearst Connecticut Media investigation there have been more than 250 reports and allegations of child sexual abuse involving the Boys & Girls Clubs and its employees.
There are more than 4,000 Boys & Girls Clubs in the United States that operate locally. Unfortunately, BGCA has only been required to report abuse allegations since 2014. Even with the new reporting requirement, it is alleged that many employees still fail to report on abuse allegations. In some instances, there are claims that employees working with children even had inadequate background checks.
The Sonoma Index Tribune published an article behind BGCA and the large amount of abuse allegations. The tribune reported in 2018 the former athletic director of Sonoma Valley’s Boys & Girls Club, Paul Dwayne Kilgore, was sentenced to 150 years to life in prison for abuse done at the organization. In the lawsuit against Kilgore, documents allege that Kilgore groomed his victims and sexually abused them during and after-school and summer programs.
There are lawsuits across the United States that have ruled the same way against employees or administrators of BGCA. According to the CTpost there are currently 12 pending cases accusing people affiliated with Boys & Girls Club of America in some way.
Do You Have a Claim Against the BGCA?
If you believe that you or a loved one has been abused through a Boys & Girls Club of America, please know that you do not have to face it alone. A growing number of victims and survivors of BGCA abuse have and continue to come forward. As more survivors come forward, more evidence of BGCA’s abuse can bring more victims justice.
Many families send their children to Boys & Girls Club programs for a safe place for their kids to be while their caretakers are working. Parents and families should not have to fear that their kids may be abused at these programs.
Reach Out for Help
Contacting an attorney to discuss the details of your claim is the first step to holding perpetrators accountable for their actions. Please reach out to Hariri Law Group for a free consultation to discuss the details of your claim. Our experienced attorneys are not only well versed in the law, but our attorneys also understand the emotional toll a case like this can have on the victims.
