Boy Scouts Abuse Settlement: How the Survivor Trust Works

The Boy Scouts of America and Delaware BSA, LLC filed for chapter 11 protection on February 18, 2020 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware, case no. 20-10343. By the November 16, 2020 bar date, creditors had filed more than 100,000 proofs of claim, of which 82,209 were unique and timely claims of sexual abuse. The court confirmed a reorganization plan on September 8, 2022, and it took effect on April 19, 2023, creating the Scouting Settlement Trust to evaluate and pay abuse claims. In February 2026 the trust said it can pay 4.7 percent of each allowed claim amount. Undecided: how much more any claimant will receive, and how the bankruptcy judge resolves a dispute over funds reserved for claims by people who were minors when BSA filed.

What the plan created, and how the trust is funded

The confirmed plan establishes a Settlement Trust funded with approximately $2.48 billion in noncontingent assets contributed by BSA and various nondebtors, the Third Circuit recorded. Over $1.6 billion came from the sale of BSA’s liability insurance policies back to pre-petition insurers.

The same opinion lists other contributions: $80 million from BSA, $42.8 million in loan proceeds, artwork and oil and gas interests valued at approximately $59 million and $7.6 million, and $439 million of the $500 million local councils were required to contribute. The trust also holds assigned insurance rights the opinion describes as an estimated several billion dollars.

Under the amended notice of effective date, an abuse claimant’s sole recourse against a Protected Party is the Settlement Trust. Our guide to how mass tort litigation works explains how a claims trust differs from an ordinary lawsuit.

How claims are valued and paid

The trust states that a claim’s “allowed amount” is its value under the criteria in the Trust Distribution Procedures, and that each distribution is a percentage of that amount. As of February 2026 it says it can provide total distributions of 4.7 percent: claimants who already received an initial 1.5 percent are due a supplemental 3.2 percent, and claimants with allowed claims not yet paid receive 4.7 percent, minus healthcare lien reserves.

The trust’s help centre describes an expedited claims questionnaire, a matrix process for calculating claims, and an independent review option. It reported a 75 percent milestone on November 26, 2025, after a 50 percent milestone in May 2025 and 25 percent of matrix claims in January 2025. Related state case files in the Mass Tort category include the Illinois sexual abuse litigation and the Maryland child abuse litigation.

What is established vs. what is alleged

Established in the court record

• BSA and Delaware BSA, LLC filed chapter 11 on February 18, 2020 in Delaware, case no. 20-10343 (LSS).
• The bar date was November 16, 2020. More than 100,000 proofs of claim were filed, of which 82,209 were unique and timely abuse claims; the court estimated their value at between $2.4 billion and $3.6 billion.
• The court confirmed the plan on September 8, 2022; U.S. District Judge Richard G. Andrews affirmed on March 28, 2023 in a 155-page opinion; the plan took effect on April 19, 2023.
• The Third Circuit dismissed the survivor appeals as statutorily moot on May 13, 2025, in an opinion by Circuit Judge Krause joined by Circuit Judges Scirica and Rendell. A final decree closed the BSA case on March 13, 2026, while the separate Delaware BSA, LLC case, no. 20-10342, remains open.

Alleged, and not decided

The individual claims are allegations. A claim accepted by a trust is not a court finding that a named person abused a claimant, that BSA was liable, or that a sponsor failed to supervise. The trust’s process decides whether a claim is allowed and what it is worth under published procedures, so an “allowed amount” is a valuation, not a finding of fault. Nothing reviewed for this article determines that any particular claimant is entitled to a particular sum.

Where the claims stand procedurally

There is no multidistrict litigation and no trial date to follow: the claims were resolved through the Delaware chapter 11 case and are now administered by the trust under the confirmed plan and the Trust Distribution Procedures.

Appeals from confirmation are exhausted. The trust states that a Supreme Court petition filed on October 14, 2025 was denied on January 12, 2026, that no rehearing petition followed, and that the confirmation order is final as of February 2026.

One dispute is still open. In 2026 the trust and the Future Claims Representative disagreed about how many “future abuse claims” exist, meaning claims of people who were minors when BSA filed and were not required to file proofs of claim. The trust estimates substantially fewer. Rather than wait for a full ruling, the parties agreed a partial resolution that funds the 3.2 percent supplemental distribution now and leaves the remainder to Judge Silverstein under the Trust Agreement.

Key dates

• February 18, 2020: BSA and Delaware BSA, LLC file chapter 11, case no. 20-10343. November 16, 2020: bar date for proofs of claim; 82,209 abuse claims filed.
• September 8, 2022: the bankruptcy court confirms the plan. March 28, 2023: the district court affirms confirmation.
• April 19, 2023: the plan becomes effective and the Scouting Settlement Trust is established.
• January 23, May 19 and November 26, 2025: the trust reports 25, 50 and 75 percent claim-determination milestones.
• May 13, 2025: the Third Circuit dismisses the survivor appeals as statutorily moot.
• October 14, 2025: survivors petition the Supreme Court. January 12, 2026: the Court denies review.
• February 11, 2026: the trust announces a total distribution of 4.7 percent of each allowed amount (1.5 percent plus 3.2 percent).
• March 13, 2026: final decree closes the BSA chapter 11 case.

What this does not establish

Nothing here determines that BSA, a local council, a chartered organisation or an insurer is liable to any individual, proves any particular allegation of abuse, or shows an admission of liability. The 4.7 percent figure is not a total recovery figure: further payments depend on the trust’s assets and on how the reserve dispute is resolved, and nothing here establishes that any reader is eligible for a payment. Claims against religious sponsors are tracked separately in the LDS Church abuse litigation and Catholic Church abuse claims.

Frequently asked questions

Did the Boy Scouts of America settle its abuse claims?

Through a chapter 11 plan rather than a single payment to each claimant. The plan was confirmed on September 8, 2022 and took effect on April 19, 2023, creating the Scouting Settlement Trust, and abuse claims against protected parties now go only to that trust.

Who runs the fund, and how much has been paid out?

The trust is administered under a Trust Agreement and Trust Distribution Procedures it publishes, with disputes decided by U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Laurie Selber Silverstein, and the Hon. Barbara J. Houser (Ret.) serves as Trustee of the BSA Settlement Trust. It reports a total distribution of 4.7 percent of each allowed claim amount, minus lien reserves, and publishes updates as payments continue.

Can a survivor still submit a claim?

The trust’s published procedures include deadlines for claim submissions and a late-claim process. Because deadlines and exceptions depend on an individual claim, no date is stated here for any reader; check the trust’s help centre and the docket in case no. 20-10343.

Do the plan releases bar lawsuits against everyone?

No. The plan channels abuse claims against the parties it defines as Protected Parties and Limited Protected Parties to the trust. Claims against non-settling entities are not extinguished: USA TODAY reported at confirmation that BSA dropped a proposed settlement with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints after the court declined to approve part of it.

How people are named here. Court records in this proceeding identify complainants by pseudonym or initials, and this article follows the court's own designations rather than attempting to identify anyone. People accused of wrongdoing are named where an indictment, court filing, regulator's report or an institution's published disclosure list names them. The rule is set out in full in our editorial policy.

Sources

1. Omni Agent Solutions (official claims and noticing agent for the chapter 11 cases): “Boy Scouts of America: Case Overview” (link, accessed 2026-10-13)
2. U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit: “In re: Boy Scouts of America and Delaware BSA, LLC, Nos. 23-1664 et al. (3d Cir. May 13, 2025)” (link, accessed 2026-10-13)
3. U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware (via Omni Agent Solutions): “Amended Notice of Effective Date, Case No. 20-10343-LSS (Doc. 11123-1)” (link, accessed 2026-10-13)
4. Scouting Settlement Trust: “Scouting Settlement Trust” (link, accessed 2026-10-13)
5. Scouting Settlement Trust: “News and Key Links” (link, accessed 2026-10-13)
6. Scouting Settlement Trust: “16.2 How much money will be in my distribution?” (link, accessed 2026-10-13)
7. Scouting Settlement Trust: “1.3 Is the Plan still subject to an appeal?” (link, accessed 2026-10-13)
8. Scouting Settlement Trust: “7.22 How does the Trust calculate the allowed claim amount?” (link, accessed 2026-10-13)
9. USA TODAY: “Boy Scouts plan to exit bankruptcy approved, signaling end to largest sex abuse case of its kind” (link, accessed 2026-10-13)
10. U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware: “Letter ruling on the Motion of J.C. to Allow Late-Filed Proof of Claim, In re Boy Scouts of America and Delaware BSA, LLC, No. 20-10343 (LSS)” (link, accessed 2026-10-13)

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