By TIM FOUGHT
Portland, Ore.
Six men who alleged they were sexually abused by an Oregon Boy Scout leader in the 1980s have settled their lawsuits against the group’s national organization for undisclosed amounts, the plaintiffs’ attorney said Wednesday. The men alleged they were abused by Timur Dykes, a former Boy Scout leader and a Mormon Sunday school teacher.
The settlements include the case of one man, Kerry Lewis, who was awarded nearly $20 million in damages from Boys Scouts of America in a trial that ended in April.
It was believed to be the largest such award in history against the national organization.
The original lawsuit also named the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints because the Mormons acted as a sponsor for the local Boy Scout troop that included the victim.
But the church had settled its portion of the case.
A jury found the Texas-based group negligent for allowing Dykes, former assistant scoutmaster, to associate with Scouts after he admitted to a Scout official in 1983 that he had molested 17 boys.