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Timeline: A History of the Confidential Lists
The Boy Scouts of America maintains a list of pedophiles — both suspected and convicted — that it has removed from the organization. Scouts Canada confirms it also keeps records on men it has ejected called the Confidential List. While neither organization will talk openly about the content of their files, the fifth estate and the Los Angeles Times have found some key documents that shed light on their history.
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The "Red" List
The New York Times publishes an article describing something called the "Red" List. The list was mistakenly believed to be names of men removed from scouting over concerns about connections to communism. The Chief Scout at the time clarified it was a list of men ejected for incompetency or sexual deviancy.
"Boy Scouts head explains 'red' list", The New York Times, June 9, 1935.
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Confidential Files in Canada
Correspondence between Boy Scouts of Canada and United Church Officials reveals Confidential Files in Canada date back to at least the 1950s.
United Church Archives, Toronto. 83.051C, 114-7. Letter from W.H. Gibson to Rev. David I. Forsyth, June 23, 1952.
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The "Standards of Leadership" memo
The "Standards of Leadership" memo circulated internally by the Boy Scouts of America lays out, as policy, that abusers are to resign, on the condition that the allegations will not be shared with anyone.
Memo to Scout executives, Dec. 4, 1972
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Richard Turley
A Canadian name appears in the Boy Scouts of America Perversion Files. Parents of three boys molested by Richard Turley at a California Scout Camp agree not to press charges if he is banned from Scouting.
Richard Turley, Boy Scouts of America confidential record, September 27, 1979.
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Scouts Canada list revealed
An Ottawa Citizen article reports Scouts Canada maintains a list of people who have been convicted of crimes, making them undesirable for positions in scouting. The article further states there are 800 names on the list.
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'Scouts Honour' published
American author Patrick Boyle publishes Scouts Honour, a book that, for the first time, takes an in-depth look at the Boy Scouts of America's Perversion Files.
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Washington State Supreme Court ruling
The Washington State Supreme Court rules that the Boy Scouts of America "Perversion Files" must be revealed to American sex-abuse lawyer Tim Kosnoff, ruling: "a society interested in protecting children from criminal assaults would not reasonably leave to the discretion of a children's social club the disclosure of information regarding criminal assaults on children."
157 Wn. 2d. 416, July 2006 T.S. v. Boy Scouts of Am. Argued Oct. 11, 2005. Decided Jul. 27, 2006.
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Scouts Canada statements
Scouts Canada sent the fifth estate statements stating it is their policy to create a record on people they have suspended from scouting for concerns, including sexual abuse. The statements also explain their current policy to immediately suspend a leader when concerns have been raised, and to report the incident to authorities. |
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