There is an old adage that goes along the lines of how it is not the scandal that gets you, it’s the cover up.

The decision by the Boy Scouts of America to hide and often not report the sexual abuse allegations leveled against their members has shook the organization even as allegations against the LGBT Community have been forthcoming that the LGBT Community has been working to release these lists of sexual abuse cases in order to push their agenda.

In what are called the “perversion files”, the BSA collected the names and details of not only suspected sexual predators, but anyone they deemed to be a pervert or a danger to children including the names of many gays who have been barred from serving as Boy Scout leaders since the organization began. The files date back into the 1910′s even though the files that have been opened span only 1959 to 1985.

The files were opened at the order of the Oregon Supreme Court. Portland attorney Kelly Clark blasted the BSA for their continued legal battles to try and keep the files a secret stating that “You do not keep secrets hidden about dangers to children.” Clark won a lawsuit in 2010 against the BSA on behalf of a plaintiff who was molested by an assistant scoutmaster in the 1980′s.

The files did serve a purpose and were noted to have prevented proven molesters from getting into leadership positions inside the Scouts. The files consisted of memos, newspaper clippings, handwritten letters and more detailing both proven allegations and unsubstantiated ones.

There were some troubling patterns in the files, though. More than a third of the reported cases were not turned over to the police, and the files apparently contain very little in the way of concern for the molested Scouts. According to the reports, however, the suspected abusers were given a lot in the way of sympathy and were often times sent to get help from psychiatrists or pastors.

There were several instances where the suspected abusers were kicked out only to show up again in other positions of authority over children.

There have been several accusations that have arisen claiming that the prosecutions and lawsuits against the BSA were in response to their unwillingness to open up their ranks to LGBT leaders.