Inappropriate behavior?

[NancyB 10]

My sister is a parent volunteer leader with venturing. There is also a 16 year old female in the group. She realizes that she is necessary b/c all of the other kids are male, as is the leader. She recently went on a camping trip and the male leader rode in one car with the 16 year old female (they had a scientific theory? that they wanted to discuss) with no one else present and she rode in another vehicle with the 3 boys of the group. The married male leader and 16 year old female would get up early to go jogging together before anyone else is up. She said that they often work out together at a gym.

 

She is very uncomfortable with this and is worried that either the guy will do something he shouldn't or the girl will claim he did something she shouldn't. She has talked to a couple other leaders who said they are "watching him". But she is worried about her own liability if she doesn't do something. The parents are aware that they work out together and spend a lot of time alone together. Is there someone she should go to? Should she share her concerns with the parents?

 

This girl is still in school and is a minor so if something were to happen, criminal charges could also be brought against him. She is worried that if she says something, she might be kicked out of the troop and she really enjoys it. She realizes that this may be completely innocent but the appearance is not and she would like to prevent any problems from occurring.

[diogenes 10]

This has YPT violations all over the place. Just renewed my Venturing YPT this morning, so very fresh in my mind. This needs to be reported to the Scout Executive. Did anything happen? Maybe, maybe not, but it is clearly a series of violations of YPT. From my experience and training in criminal justice, this is setting off all kinds of alarms.

 

So far that I know, there is no scientific theory that needs to be discussed alone between a married man and a 16 year old girl, at least not anything that the BSA would condone.

[NancyB 10]

thanks. I will let my sister know. So far nothing that we know of has happened, but she doesn't want anything to. The guy is taking a risk b/c if she claims something did happen, it's his reputation and marriage that are at stake. I tried to explain to her that as a volunteer leader, she could run into trouble if she doesn't do something and looked the other way and there was an issue.

[nldscout 18]

He sounds just like the gentleman that I had the unfortunate duty of arraigning last night at 11pm for inappropriatte contact with a 16 yr old girl that was a family friend. You wouldn't be in Upstate NY would you?

 

Now he gets to be a guest of the county sheriff until monday, and figure out how to salvage his life.

[ScoutNut 147]

Another troll posting.

 

I doubt that anyone alive could have as many "inappropriate" things happen to them, and their friends, as this poster seems to want us to believe.

 

 

[Beavah 205]

Yah, could be, ScoutNut. Especially since NancyB claimed to be a former city attorney, but can't seem to navigate da difference between civil liability and criminality.

 

Worth answerin' anyways, just in case. Someone who finds themselves in this circumstance might be searchin' the archives some day.

 

I think if several adults feel like their alarms are goin' off and they're "watching" the advisor, that's a good signal of a problem. Which means that your sister and the other adults have to stop with the behind-da-scenes gossip and "watching" and go talk to the CC, COR, and Scout Executive. Give 'em a full report of the facts that they have witnessed or statements they have heard, not da rumor or innuendo or 3rd-party hearsay.

 

Then let those folks handle it. They'll do their thing with a quiet investigation and whatever conversations need to be had or actions taken.

 

Beavah(This message has been edited by Beavah)

[Oak Tree 15]

And again with the liability question. What do we even have insurance for? Everyone seems to be convinced that just about every time something goes wrong, there's some violation involved, and that violation nullifies the insurance. Sigh.

[Gonzo1 10]

This is not a good situation.

[bacchus 10]

Just out of curiosity, is your sister's name Nancy, and is the adult male leader her ex-husband?