Update:
6 On Your Side received a response from the Boys and Girls Club of the Western Treasure Valley on Thursday morning. Here is the full response:
A lawsuit involving two former Club members in 2011 was filed on Feb. 1, 2017 against the Boys & Girls Club of Western Treasure Valley. The mistreatment of any child is unacceptable…we are deeply saddened by these allegations and are fully cooperating with the legal process.
The protection and well-being of youth we serve has always been and will continue to be our top priority, and our organization is committed to the highest standards of ethical behavior and integrity. The Club works tirelessly to strengthen all aspects of our operations to ensure the safety of every member and will not tolerate alleged inappropriate or illegal behavior on the part of staff, volunteers or Club members.
Our organization has taken many steps to ensure the safety of our members, including a monitored bathroom pass system, members are separated by age groups throughout the day, and annual background checks for all volunteers,staff and board members.
We will continue our full cooperation during the legal process, and will review our policies and priorities to identify any additional steps to provide even greater protection to the young people in the Western Treasure Valley community.
The organization will withhold further comment on these allegations until the legal process is completed. Any additional questions should be directed to Malheur County Courts. The Boys & Girls Club of Western Treasure Valley has been safely serving the community for eight years and we remain steadfast in our mission of safely
serving those who need us most by offering them hope and opportunity.
Matt Sorensen
Executive Director, Boys & Girls Club of Western Treasure Valley
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Attorneys for a disabled Malheur County girl have filed a lawsuit against the Boys and Girls Club of America claiming the organization failed to protect her from being raped in 2011 when she was just seven-years-old.
Court documents filed at the Malheur County Courthouse allege the young girl was raped at the Western Valley Boys And Girls club in Ontario by a teenage boy. They allege the boy has a history of sexual violence and the Boys and Girls club failed to warn people of the possible dangers.
The lawsuit names both the national and local Boys and Girls Clubs as defendants, and are seeking 5 million dollars. The plaintiff's attorney says the alleged rape is one of a string of sexual assaults at Boys and Girls Clubs across the nation.
"When you undertake to serve vulnerable kids like our disabled client you have an obligation to do everything possible to protect those vulnerable kids while they are participating in the clubs," said attorney Peter Janni of Crew Janci LLP, who is representing the girl.
6 On Your Side reached out the Boys and Girls Club in Ontario and their national headquarters and have not heard back from either group.
Click here to see the full court documents.
