Jury Awards $7M in Connecticut Boy Scouts Abuse Case

Lawyers say this is the largest-ever verdict for compensatory damages against the Boy Scouts of America.

A Connecticut jury has issued a $7 million verdict against the Boy Scouts of America in a lawsuit by a man who says he was sexually abused by a scout leader in the mid-1970s.

Lawyers for the man say the decision handed down Friday in Waterbury Superior Court was the largest-ever verdict for compensatory damages against the Boy Scouts of America. The jury also found the Boy Scouts liable for punitive damages, with the amount to be determined by a trial judge.

The man alleges he was sexually abused by New Fairfield scout leader Siegfried Hepp.

A Boy Scouts spokesman says the organization disagrees with the verdict and will review the decision.

A message seeking comment was left Monday at phone listings for Hepp in Connecticut and Florida. 

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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