ScoutMama43

Thank you for all of the feedback and input. We received the letter. It is from our local council SE. It references the allegations and indicates that they will inform of any change to his status. I left a message for him at the number provided. I will call again on Tuesday after the holiday. I have been in email contact with the troop CC who does not seem happy with my questions at all. I will keep you updated as to how this plays out. My son still seems in shock and is maintaining his innocence. We have questioned him about anything he could have said or done that could have been misconstrued. So far, nothing other than what I have previously mentioned. The accuser’s dad is not a leader. However the other tent mate’s dad is now a leader and those two boys are best friends and have been in scouts together from the beginning. In fact my son drove in the car to and from the camp out with these boys and the dad (2+ hours each way). 

I have only had contact with the Committee Chair. No one else has spoken to me or my son. I agree my son did not choose his words wisely. 

We asked and no police were involved. We asked if there were witnesses and were told no. Only the accuser has been spoken with. 

Exactly. 

42 minutes ago, David CO said:

Ambiguous pronouns. Does the highlighted him (in the quote box) refer to your son or the 1st year scout?

If your son said that you, or any other person, would hurt the first year scout on your son's behalf, it is still just as much of a threat as would be if he had said that he would do it himself. If this is the case, your son should be in trouble. He's guilty.

If he did threaten to harm the boy I agree he should be in trouble. But he is claiming that he never threatened the boy at all.

My son told the other scout that we would kill him (our son) if his new equipment was lost. According to my son he never threatened the other boy. 

We got the phone call Weds. Night - expected to receive the letter either yesterday or today. Not home yet, but it wasn’t in yesterday’s mail.

Forgive me but who is the COR and CC?

My son supposedly threatened to kill him. My son says that he got angry and said that his parents would kill him if his new equipment was lost. 

I believe so. He just bridged so I am not 100% sure.

All BSA activities. Someone from the troop called us. They have been less than forth coming.

1 minute ago, Hawkwin said:

Regardless of the severity of what actually may have been said, I find that lack of investigation prior to the phone call and the letter being sent to be disturbing. Feels like a guilty until proven innocent action on behalf of TPTB.

 

Who called you, someone from the troop or the council? If it was the troop, I would want to know just who made this decision. Why were you, as a parent, not invited to that discussion - was this at a committee meeting? I also think I would be calling my council to complain if this originated at the troop level.

Is your scout being told to cease with the Troop or cease with BSA?

My son is a second year boy scout and was accused by one of his tent mates (a 1st year boy scout) of verbally threatening him.  There were no witnesses.  The alleged incident was reported 2 days later.  There have been no prior accusations, issues or incidents involving my son.  No one from the troop spoke with my son or asked him what happened, or even if it happened.  Our first indication of an issue was a phone call several days later telling us that we would be receiving a Cease Participation letter via certified mail withing the next day or two.  We were told that the investigation would be ongoing and take several months.  In the meantime, my son claims that he never made the threats and that the boy took some of his camping equipment and hid it.  My son got angry and told him that his parents would kill him if his new equipment was lost.  The boy finally showed him where the equipment was.  Do I believe my son?  Mostly I do. Did my son get mad and say something he shouldn't have and probably didn't mean?  Most likely.  My son is devastated at his exclusion and devastated at missing summer camp.  Is this the proper protocol?  I have been searching online for some guidance as to the proper protocol for this.  I haven't found anything definitive.  Thank you in advance.