Boy Scouts auction aims to help abuse victims
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Boy Scouts artwork that will be auctioned to support abuse victims is on display at Heritage Auctions. Photo: Naheed Rajwani-Dharsi/Axios
Dallas-based Heritage Auctions will sell iconic Boy Scouts artwork to raise money for thousands of Boy Scouts of America abuse victims.
Why it matters: Over 80,000 individuals — from minors to people in their 90s — have reported experiencing sexual abuse when they were part of Boy Scouts of America.
- The approved Boy Scouts of America payout — $2.46 billion — was the largest sexual abuse settlement in U.S. history.
The big picture: Art that celebrates how the Irving-based organization influenced American culture will now be auctioned, with proceeds going to support former scouts who experienced trauma in what was supposed to be a safe space for them.
Driving the news: Heritage Auctions received nearly 300 pieces from Boy Scouts of America.
- The first round to be auctioned Nov. 15 will feature 25 works, including five by illustrator and painter Norman Rockwell.
Catch up quick: The Boy Scouts of America filed for bankruptcy in 2020.
- Last year, it agreed to create a trust to process survivors' claims and compensate them.
- The organization has rebranded to Scouting America.
The intrigue: The Boy Scouts artwork touches on the evolution of American pop culture, including the Suffragette movement, Coca Cola's popularity and space exploration.
Between the lines: The auction aims to balance recognizing the organization's historical impact and supporting the victims.
- There will likely be interest from illustration and Americana art collectors, along with Boy Scouts alumni, says Aviva Lehmann, Heritage Auctions' senior vice president of American art. The starting bids will range from $500 to $100,000.
- "We are raising funds for survivors of childhood sexual abuse, but we also want to, at the same time, celebrate the legacy of the goodness of the Boy Scouts. It's sort of tough to do both," Lehmann tells Axios.
What's next: Heritage Auctions hosted small groups at its Dallas office to see the artwork this week. The pieces will go on a roadshow across the country starting next week.
How the settlement works
The Scouting Settlement Trust has distributed over $41 million so far to about 64,000 people who experienced sexual assault as Boy Scouts.
Context: Retired bankruptcy judge Barbara Houser is overseeing the trust and is charged with liquidating the organization's assets, including oil and gas investments, land and artwork.
- She worked with Heritage Auctions to organize the sale of the artwork for the victims' fund.
How it works: Houser's team evaluates each claim and sorts it into one of six categories, depending on the severity of the abuse.
- The statute of limitations in states where the abuse happened also influences how much money victims receive.
- Victims in Texas are not eligible to receive as much as victims in other states because the state has a statute of limitations for civil child sex abuse cases.
Threat level: For many of the survivors, the abuse had an adverse effect on their lives. That includes homelessness, time in prison and difficulty managing relationships, according to Houser.
The bottom line: "I can't make these men and women who were abused whole. … There's really no amount of money that would ever compensate them fairly for what they went through," Houser tells Axios.
- "But what I hope my team and I can do is give them some closure."