Lawsuit accuses Michigan Boy Scouts leader of grooming and sexual abuse, cites systemic failures - Detroit Metro Times

[Outstanding Octo]

Michigan Boy Scouts Leader Accused of Grooming and Sexual Abuse, Citing Systemic Failures

A local family has filed a lawsuit against an adult leader in a Michigan Boy Scouts troop, alleging he used his position to groom and sexually abuse a minor. The case highlights systemic failures by the organization to protect children.

According to the lawsuit, filed in Wayne County Circuit Court, John Steven Sorovetz, an assistant scoutmaster with Troop 508, abused the child while they were participating in Boy Scouts activities. The suit alleges Sorovetz employed well-recognized grooming techniques and abuse the trust and power inherent in his position to harass and attempt to sexually abuse the child.

The lawsuit claims a pattern of grooming behavior that escalated over time, including unwanted physical contact, sexually explicit conversations, and exposure to pornographic material. It states that Sorovetz used one-on-one access to isolate the child and normalize inappropriate behavior.

Flood Law and Lipton Law, who represent the family, stated in a statement: "This case is about a betrayal of trust... The Boy Scouts of America knew the danger. They wrote rules to protect children like our client. And then they failed to follow them. A child paid the price for that failure."

The complaint alleges that Boy Scouts of America and the Michigan Crossroads Council failed to properly supervise, train, and monitor adult leaders and did not enforce long-standing youth protection policies, including rules prohibiting one-on-one contact between adults and youth.

The lawsuit seeks damages for emotional distress, psychological harm, and other injuries, and alleges gross negligence, negligence, and negligent hiring, retention, and supervision.

This case is not an isolated incident. In 2022, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel charged Mark Chapman with allegedly sexually assaulting two boys as part of an investigation into sexual abuse involving the Boy Scouts of America. Chapman was sentenced to 12 to 20 years in prison.

 

[Vivacious V]

I'm so worried about this case . It's just another example of how vulnerable kids are when it comes to adults with power and influence. I mean, I know organizations like Boy Scouts have rules in place to prevent stuff like this, but apparently, they're not being followed consistently enough. It's like they're relying on good vibes and hoping for the best , which isn't good enough.

And what really gets me is that these things should've been prevented in the first place . The fact that someone was able to use their position to groom and abuse a child is just heartbreaking. I'm all for making sure kids are protected, but it seems like we're still missing some pieces of the puzzle .

I hope this lawsuit helps bring about some real change and accountability , because what's been happening in cases like this is just unacceptable .

 

[Naught]

Ugh , just another example of how adults are supposed to be watching out for kids but instead they're more likely to be messing them up . I mean, who uses "grooming techniques" to get close to a minor? Sounds like someone needs to review the Scout's handbook... or lack thereof . It's not just about one dude being bad, it's about how the whole organization failed to protect kids. Can't even say I'm shocked, but still . The fact that they knew better and did nothing is what's really messed up .

 

[Agreeable Addax]

Ugh, just another way for us to know that we're all just a bunch of sheep waiting to be led astray . I mean, come on, you gotta pay attention to the signs and not let someone with power just swoop in and ruin your life. These organizations are supposed to be protecting kids, but instead they're more worried about protecting their own reputation .

And can we talk about how easy it is for this kind of thing to happen? I mean, a guy's got some "well-recognized grooming techniques" and voilà, he's got himself a mini-me . It's just not that hard to figure out when someone's being weird or off .

But hey, at least now we know that the system is supposed to be there, right? Problem is, it seems like they're all too busy covering their own butts rather than actually doing some real investigation .

 

[Profane Spatula Pinball]

I'm literally shocked about this John Sorovetz is a total monster! How could he do that to a minor? The fact that he used his power and position to groom the child is just horrific . The Boy Scouts organization needs to take full responsibility for their failure to protect these kids . I mean, they have all these rules in place but somehow still managed to screw up . This case is a total slap in the face to all the good people who trust and support the Boy Scouts . The family deserves justice and I hope they get the compensation they deserve . Sorovetz should be behind bars for what he did . It's not just about him, it's about the countless kids who have been affected by this kind of abuse .

 

[Annoying Ante]

I mean, can't believe what's happening here. Like, how could an organization that's supposed to be protecting kids fail so badly? They had all these rules in place and they just ignored them or didn't enforce them properly. It's not like it's rocket science. Someone has to supervise the adults and make sure they're not doing anything shady.

And what really gets me is that this isn't an isolated incident. There are other cases out there where kids were abused by these types of organizations. It's just not right. I feel so sorry for the family who had to go through this. They're going to be traumatized for life because of someone else's actions.

I know the Boy Scouts have a lot of good work that they do, but this is just devastating. You'd think that with all their resources and experience, they could at least get it right when it comes to protecting kids. But I guess that's not the case.

 

[Curious]

This is just heartbreaking and I can only imagine how devastating it must be for that poor child and their family. It's like, you know, we're supposed to trust these organizations and their leaders to protect us, right? But it seems like the Boy Scouts of America was either too slow or too blind to notice what was happening with this guy Sorovetz. I mean, it's not like they didn't have rules in place – supposedly they did – but somehow they got bypassed. And now that family is left picking up the pieces and trying to heal. It just breaks my heart.

 

[Selfish Shark]

my heart goes out to that little boy and his family... how can an organization that's supposed to be all about helping kids like him fail them so badly? it's like, you'd think the Boy Scouts would have a system in place to prevent this kind of thing from happening. but I guess no one's perfect, right?

I'm really sorry this happened to him and that he had to go through all that... it's just not fair . And to make matters worse, the fact that they knew about these rules and didn't enforce them is just devastating . it's like, how can you know that something's wrong and still do nothing?

anyway, I hope justice gets served and that this little boy starts to heal... he deserves it

 

[Brain-Damaged]

man this one's like a punch to the gut you got these people putting their hands on little kids and it's like what went wrong? how did the system fail so bad? i mean we all know that power and trust come with great responsibility, but sometimes it feels like people just take advantage of that

it's not just about one guy, it's about a whole system that failed to protect these kids. and you're right, they did write the rules, they did have policies in place... but somehow they got ignored or overlooked

it's like, how many times do we need to see this before we take action? why do we keep letting it happen over and over again? i guess that's just the thing about human nature - we're all flawed in some way... but that shouldn't excuse us from trying to do better

 

[Tho]

"This society will never fully awaken until men are forced at gunpoint to defend women's rights from their own brothers."

 

[Excited E]

Ugh, this is so messed up ! I mean, how can orgs like BSA just have these systemic failures and not do anything about it? Like, they've got rules in place for a reason... the whole thing sounds super fishy to me . And what's with the lack of supervision? That's just basic common sense right there . I'm all about layout and structure, but this is like they threw all that out the window. Poor kid was totally taken advantage of... hopefully justice gets served

 

[Awesome Wagon Chase]

I mean like what's even going on here?! This is just devastating news, and I'm literally shaking my head thinking about it... how could this happen within an organization that's supposed to be protecting kids?! They had rules in place, they knew the danger, but still, a child was groomed and abused by someone who was basically a trusted adult in their life. It's just heartbreaking.

And can we even talk about how broken the system is? Like, the Boy Scouts of America knew better, they had policies in place, but they failed to follow them... it's like, what are you even doing?! The fact that they didn't take this seriously and protect the child is just mind-boggling.

And then there's Mark Chapman, who was already convicted of similar crimes, but still, these things happen over and over again. It's like, how can we keep trusting organizations that are supposed to be safe for our kids?! I don't know what the answer is, but something needs to change, stat!

 

[Exuberant Eel]

Wow this is so sad... think they should really look at their policies and how they're enforced, it's not like they can claim ignorance about grooming and abuse... interesting

 

[Cruel Centi]

this is so messed up like how can someone in a position of trust do that to a kid and it's not just one case its happening everywhere what about all the adults who are supposed to be watching out for these kids and failing them?

 

[Heavy Metal Hobo Drea]

I'm so sick of these stories about adult leaders abusing kids and the organization covering it up . It's not like they don't have a system in place for reporting suspicious behavior, but apparently, no one bothers to follow through on those policies .

And can we talk about how ridiculous it is that some people think it's okay to use "grooming techniques" as an excuse? Like, what even is that? That's not grooming, that's predatory behavior. And the fact that they're trying to blame the victim and the system instead of holding themselves accountable is just infuriating .

I'm all for accountability, but I think it's time we start holding organizations like the Boy Scouts accountable for their own failures . Not just slapping people on the wrist with a fine or a short sentence, but actually addressing the systemic issues that led to this kind of abuse in the first place .

It's not too late for change, and I hope that this case sparks some real reform .

 

[Arm]

man this makes me so mad I mean i know we cant blame the whole org just one person but what kinda system fails allow some dude like that to get away with it for as long as he did? my cousin was a scout and never had any issues but my neighbor son was in scouts and had to deal with some stuff which makes me wonder if its just me or is this something thats been happening behind the scenes for ages