Judge upholds Boy Scouts sex abuse settlement

A federal judge has upheld the Boy Scouts of America's $2.46 billion settlement with more than 80,000 men who say they were abused as children.

Driving the news: U.S. District Judge Richard Andrews in Delaware ruled Tuesday that the Irving-based Boy Scouts' bankruptcy agreement was a good faith effort to resolve the abuse claims, according to Reuters.

• The Boy Scouts can now proceed with its bankruptcy reorganization plan.

Why it matters: The ruling upholds the largest sexual abuse settlement in U.S. history.

• The case could set a precedent for large-scale tort litigation.

Zoom in: The amount of money that individual abuse survivors will receive from the settlement ranges from $3,500 to $2.7 million, depending on a variety of factors that include when and where the abuse occurred.

• Survivors in Texas, for example, aren't eligible for as much as survivors in states like New York because Texas doesn't have a Child Victims Act.

Flashback: The organization first reached an agreement with a majority of claimants in February 2022.

• The settlement was approved in bankruptcy court in September, with the support of 86% of abuse claimants and the Boy Scouts' two largest insurers.

Yes, but: Appeals filed on behalf of more than 100 abuse survivors and some insurers delayed the settlement and postponed the organization's planned exit from bankruptcy.

What they're saying: "This decision is a step toward closure and some measure of justice for tens of thousands of survivors of childhood sexual assault," Adam Slater, one of the attorneys who negotiated the settlement on behalf of survivors, tells Axios.

• The Boy Scouts called the decision "a pivotal milestone" that "solidifies a path forward for both survivors and Scouting," per AP.

The other side: The appealing parties haven't commented publicly on the ruling yet.