Men file abuse suits against Mormons, Boy Scouts
Tuesday, November 17, 2009 10:56 AM PST
MARCUS WOHLSEN
Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO — The Mormon church and Boy Scouts of America were named as defendants in lawsuits Monday claiming childhood sexual abuse by youth leaders decades ago. Alleged victims filed suits against both organizations in San Francisco and Seattle, and against the church alone in Portland, Ore. The plaintiffs are all represented by Portland attorney Kelly Clark, who has brought similar suits against the church and the Boy Scouts in the past. In the suit filed in San Francisco Superior Court, three brothers claim the church ignored their complaints about being molested by their Silicon Valley Boy Scout and Mormon youth leader in the 1970s and 1980s.
‘‘These are men who believe in the best of these institutions and believe that this kind of lawsuit can help improve these institutions and prevent child abuse,’’ Clark said.
The plaintiffs, identified only as John Does, claim they were molested hundreds of times by 65-year-old William Eugene Knox, who married their mother while the abuse was taking place in Sunnyvale, Calif.
A law firm in Canton, Ga., contacted by The Associated Press said it was no longer representing Knox, a Georgia resident. His phone number could not be located.
Clark said the suit was filed weeks ago, but the defendants were only named Monday after a San Francisco judge certified evidence allowing them to be identified publicly. He said a jury would determine the specific amount of any possible damages. One of the plaintiffs was still a devout member of the church, and two have served as scoutmasters. Clark said one was a former FBI agent. San Jose attorney Allen Ruby, representing the church in Northern California, said he was not aware of a case in which courts have found a church liable for abuse committed by a family member.
