The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

• BALTIMORE, Oct. 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Andreozzi + Foote, a nationally recognized civil law firm known for successful advocacy on behalf of survivors of sexual abuse, proudly announces the filing of multiple lawsuits against institutions in Maryland as the Maryland Child Victims Act takes effect today.
• Andreozzi + Foote files sex abuse lawsuits and responds to Archdiocese of Baltimore filing for Bankruptcy.
• The Maryland Child Victims Act, enacted to provide justice to survivors of child sexual abuse, has paved the way for survivors to come forward and seek legal recourse against their abusers and the institutions that enabled their abuse.
• "Our firm is committed to advocating for survivors and ensuring they have a platform to seek justice," said Ben Andreozzi at Andreozzi + Foote.

• PROVO, Utah, Aug. 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- BYU Law, a global law school affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
• The youngest of the top 25 law schools, BYU Law is renowned for its strong student body and influential faculty who have pioneered such fields as law and entrepreneurship, disaster law, transactional design, law and leadership, law and corpus linguistics, international religious freedom, and legal technology.
• Only four of the top 25 law schools were founded after the 1800s, with BYU Law ranking as the youngest law school on the list.
• "In 50 short years, BYU Law has become a leader among law schools in the U.S. and beyond," said David H. Moore, dean of BYU Law.

• “Over the years, Alabama Virtual Academy students have thrived during times when students around the country struggled.
• Now it’s time to recognize all of their hard work and celebrate their futures,” said ALVA Head of School Melanie Barkley.
• Alabama Virtual Academy’s graduates have crossed the finish line of graduation and are prepared for their next adventure in life.
• Alabama Virtual Academy invites all families and friends worldwide to join the celebration.

• Some insurance companies and sex abuse claimants objected to the Boy Scouts’ plan to pay claimants, but the 3rd U.S.
• Circuit Court of Appeals held that the plan can go ahead anyway while the insurers’ appeal is pending.
• The BSA filed for bankruptcy in February 2020 to halt the hundreds of lawsuits that were then pending in state courts.

What happens next?

• The plan the court approved in the BSA’s bankruptcy case will create a settlement trust to process and pay sexual abuse claims.
• Two retired judges and a committee made up of lawyers who represent sex abuse claimants will administer the trust, which will be the largest sexual abuse compensation fund ever established in the U.S.

Where will the money come from?

• The BSA will contribute to the trust property estimated to be worth $220 million.
• Local councils will contribute about $515 million in cash, property and money obtained from their insurers.
• The trustee of the settlement trust has the authority to sue the insurance companies that have not agreed to the settlement to try to get more money to pay claims.

How much money will survivors get and when will payments begin?

• About 6,700 survivors have already elected this option.
• 2) Submit additional information and have the trustee determine the amount based on agreed-upon factors, including the severity of the abuse.
• Payments will not start to flow until the trust determines the payment amount of each claim.

How will this settlement affect the Boy Scouts?

• The organization’s revenue depends on membership dues, contributions from its troop sponsoring organizations, product sales, service fees and donations.
• The BSA now has a little more than 1 million members across the country – about half as many as in 2019.
• Trying to convert some of the Boy Scouts-owned properties into cash to meet the organization’s obligations under the bankruptcy plan is complicated.
• Local Boy Scouts councils own a significant portion of open space in the U.S., and much of it may be lost.

Are there precedents for this?

Catholic organizations have resolved liability for child sexual abuse in bankruptcy cases with plans that are similar to the BSA’s. But the scale of the Boy Scouts’ case in terms of the number of claims and the size of the settlement trust fund is much larger than any case involving a single diocese, or any other nonprofit organization bankruptcy case.