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A Ramsey County district court judge said Tuesday he will issue a written decision at a later date regarding whether to release a list of ineligible volunteers from the Boy Scouts of America.

Judge Leonardo Castro listened to arguments for nearly two hours from attorneys for the Boy Scouts of America and St. Paul-based attorney Jeff Anderson.

Anderson represented a victim, known only as John Doe 180, in 

Anderson claims there are 12 people on the list who were accused of sexually abusing children who currently have access to children, but he can't release the list without the judge's permission.

“There is grave and real and present peril,” Anderson told reporters after the hearing.

Garth Unke, an attorney for the Boy Scouts, raised concerns in court about privacy and told the judge the terms of the 2014 settlement did not include releasing the information Anderson is now seeking to make public. Unke said the Boy Scouts of America has already turned over relevant information to law enforcement. 

Former Minnesota Boy Scout's abuse lawsuit settled

Anderson said that doesn't matter if the public doesn't see the names.

"A report to law enforcement more often than not results in no prosecution and those people remain in the community,” Anderson said. “This is the situation in many, if not most of these cases because the statute of limitations often times prevents it from being prosecuted."

Anderson raised his concerns in April, after he says new information came to light 

during the testimony of a researcher involved in an unrelated recent case

At that time, Anderson released sworn testimony from University of Virginia professor Janet Warren, who was hired by the Boy Scouts to conduct a study of the organization's sexual abuse files. That report found that 12,254 children were allegedly abused by 7,819 Scout leaders.

Boy Scout files show decades of child sex abuse

Anderson said he believes the information needs to be known, so he sounded the alarm. He said the Boy Scouts can also release the information.

Attorneys for the Boy Scouts of America declined to comment after the hearing.

Judge Castro said he does not think it is within his legal authority to release the information, but took the matter under advisement and said he will issue a written decision at a later date.

Crime, Law and Justice

Courts

NewsPartners

Nina Moini

Author

An attorney for sexual abuse victims asks a court to release a list of Boy Scouts’ ineligible volunteers. Jeff Anderson says a dozen of the people on the list have roles that put them in contact with children. He says publication of the names would protect against future abuse. 

Boy Scouts, Parents Deliver Petition To Boy Scout

Attorney asks for release of list of Boy Scouts' ineligible volunteers

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