Oneida, Utica, and Rome Area Residents Among Those Listed in Boy Scout Ineligible Volunteer (“IV”) Perversion Files

Marcy, NY (WIBX) - "It is a sad day for Scouting," so says Oregon attorney Paul Mones, one of the lead counsel in the case of Lewis vs. Boy Scouts of America.

The list of more than 1,200 names includes three men from the local area.

A resident of Oneida back in 1968, Gerard Caron, resigned from the Boy Scouts of America following what was cited in documents as "first hand reports of sexual advances made to adults."  Mr. Caron was a part of the leadership of Troop 473, sponsored by the Knights of Columbus.  Documents pertaining to his exclusion from the troop read very much as a sign of the times and include allegations of sexual misconduct toward adults.

However, a 1974 Utica resident, Lawrence F. Noreau, was arrested by Utica Police in that year and, allegedly confessed to the crime of endangering the welfare of a child.  A letter dated July 11, 1974 addressed to the Director of Registration and Fulfillment for the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) from the Upper Mohawk Council of the BSA located at 1401 Genesee Street in Utica from Scout Execuitve Charles D. Ball directs officials to: "Please put Lawrence Noreau, Assistant Scoutmaster of Troop 20, Council #46, sponsored by the Roosevelt School PTA, on the Confidential File.  This man was arrested by Detective Scully of the Utica Police Department on morals charges.  The Police Department has a sworn statement of guilt from Noreau."

Vernon Center resident Richard Edward Lewin was also included in the file.  Lewin, Weblos Leader of Pack 27 with the Iroquois Council, was charged with third degree sexual abuse by Rome Police in 1975.  An article from the Rome Sentinel was cited in the case.

Although the once confidential files are now part of the public record, it is extremely important to note the disclaimer that appears before the list of names.  It reads as follows:

"The information contained in the ineligible volunteer (“IV”) files is being made public pursuant to a court order from The Honorable John Wittmayer, Multnomah County Circuit Judge for the State of Oregon, in the case of Lewis vs. Boy Scouts of America, Case No. 0710-11294. The Oregon Supreme Court upheld the ruling on June 14th, 2012.

By the terms of Judge Wittmayer’s order, the names and contact information of persons identified as victims of sexual abuse and those that reported the abuse were redacted. If the person identified as an abuse reporter was a professional Scouter, i.e., an individual employed by the Boy Scouts of America or an affiliate, then the name was not redacted.

The information in the IV files concerns allegations of child sexual abuse. In a number of the cases, the allegations were later substantiated by court proceedings. However, in a great many cases no such substantiation ever occurred. Consequently, the law firms of O’Donnell Clark and Crew LLP and Paul Mones, and any agent or representative thereof, make no representations or suggestions that any of the allegations in these files are in every case true. In fact, we are in no position to verify or attest to the truth of these allegations as they were compiled by the Boy Scouts of America. The incidents reported in these documents attest to notice of potential child abuse given to the Boy Scouts of America and its affiliates and their response to that notice."

In an interview with WIBX Paul Mones says the purpose of the release is not to show that the Boy Scouts of America knew what was going on as much as it is to protect future generations.  The release of names covers a twenty-year period ending in 1985.  Mones says additional litigation is being pursued that involves more recent cases.

Attroney Mones says he knew that the release of names would have a massive impact on communities and families, some of whom have long tried to put the issue of sexual abuse behind them.

Calls made by WIBX to local Scouting officials on Thursday, October 18, 2012 were referred to the national organization, one official commenting that this is "not a local issue."