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Louisville (KY) - Explorer Post Abuse Scandal


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It is estimated that there are 1.4 million gang members in the United States. There are more adolescent boys in gangs than in scouting. Physical and sexual abuse in gangs is so common that the news media doesn't bother to report it. It's not news. 

Every case of sexual abuse in scouting is a headline story.

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The National Law Enforcement Exploring Conference (NLEEC) will be held July 16-20 at Purdue. It is expected to draw 2,100 people to campus, including youth participants ages 12 to 20, adult counselors and law enforcement officers. NLEEC has been in existence since 1959. 

Law Enforcement Exploring is a career orientation and experience program for young people contemplating a career in the field of criminal justice. 

Conferees focus on career opportunities, leadership experiences, life skills, citizenship and character education. In addition, they participate in multiple competitive activities including protocols, procedures, marksmanship, drill team, crisis negotiation and emergency response. Activities range from driving to a camper entertainment show, as well as individual events and formal opening and closing.

At the conference website, I found no seminar discussion about the Louisville Police Explorer Scandal or YP changes in Exploring.

More details at links:
 
Edited by RememberSchiff
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"Exploring serves two different age groups, both coed. Explorer Clubs serve middle schoolers, aged 10 - 13, in sixth through eighth grades. Explorer Posts serve older youth 14 - 20 years old. The program model is the same for age groups..."

From exploring.org website

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  • 3 years later...

This case hits far too close to home. My son had an interest in law enforcement and I encouraged him to visit this post. I had had great experiences in Exploring as a youth and the post appeared to have a great reputation. Fortunately, my son also had a passion for music and was involved with a band that began to travel nationally. So he did not have the time to join the post.  It would have been right at the time this nightmare was unfolding. The depositions in this case were horrifying and the actions done by the post leaders were sickening.

But for the Grace of God ...

The good news is that my son pursued a degree in law enforcement and is serving as a law enforcement officer today.

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11 hours ago, gpurlee said:

... Fortunately, my son also had a passion for music and was involved with a band that began to travel nationally. So he did not have the time to join the post.  ….

But for the Grace of God ...

Or, possibly there was potential for worse abuse in band, and your son was needed there to prevent that. God’s grace has it’s quirks …

I’m wondering if this is related to a similar story we were following a few years back. I’ll have to dig.

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Statement on city website

https://louisvilleky.gov/news/settlement-reached-explorer-claims

Settlement reached for Explorer claims

November 01, 2021

The Boys Scouts of America and its related local organizations and Louisville Metro Government, through its legal representative Jefferson County Attorney Mike O’Connell and his office, have negotiated a settlement that resolves all claims involving seven lawsuits related to the Boy Scouts of America Explorer program.

$3,650,000 will paid to seven plaintiffs, with more than $3 million of that amount coming from Old Republic Insurance Company, the insurer for the Boy Scouts of America. The remainder will be paid by Metro’s self-insurance under the Louisville Area Governmental Self Insurance Trust.

Per the settlement agreement, counsel for plaintiffs will retain an independent third party as a settlement arbiter to allocate the funds between  among the seven plaintiffs as the arbiter deems appropriate based on the facts and circumstances of each claim.

The first of seven lawsuits was filed on March 8, 2017 in Jefferson Circuit Court. The attorney in that case, then Metro Council President David Yates, was later disqualified for his conflict of interest. Mayor Greg Fischer suspended the Explorer program on March 13, 2017 and on March 17, 2017 appointed former U.S. Attorney Kerry Harvey as special investigator into allegations about the program. Harvey’s report was released in June 2018.

“Since the beginning of the Explorers case, my ultimate goal has been to find the truth and get justice for the victims,” said Mayor Greg Fischer. “It’s our hope that this settlement brings some closure for those involved. We must continue our work to ensure the appalling interactions that led to this investigation never happen again.”

Three LMPD officers pleaded guilty to federal charges related to allegations that occurred related to the Explorer program.

In 2018, the matter was transferred to federal court where the Plaintiffs were represented by Tad Thomas. The cases were settled on October 29, 2021.

Edited by RememberSchiff
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