Muncie, Ind. man sues Boy Scouts over alleged sexual abuse by scoutmaster

CINCINNATI - A lawsuit was filed in Warren County against the Boy Scouts of America by a Muncie, Ind. man who claims he was the victim of sexual abuse as a youth.

The suit filed on Tuesday claims the alleged abuse took place during a Boy Scout troop visit around 1999.

The suit alleges the plaintiff, Thomas Abner, now 25, was abused by a scoutmaster during a Kings Island trip, according to the suit. That scoutmaster, Steven Woodward, is now listed as deceased in the suit.

Abner's suit claims the Boy Scouts were responsible for his safety in their hiring and screening of Woodward as as Scoutmaster when Abner was under his care, and for not better monitoring Woodard in situations with those he mentored in scouting.

Specifically, as one of its points the suit states the "BSA had information to which the Plaintiff was entitled, because BSA was in a relationship of trust and confidence with Plaintiff through its invitation to minor Plaintiff to participate in Scouting and interacting with its agents."

The suit filed also claims that the BSA did not enforce its rule of not allowing scout leaders to spend time alone with scouts.

Kircher will work alongside the attorneys of the 2010 trial against the Boy Scouts which resulted in a $19.5 million verdict against the Boy Scouts. Those attorneys include Kelly Clark of O'Donnell, Clark, & Crew LLP and attorney Paul Mones of Portland, Ore.