Source: newjerseymonitor.com 8/19/26
The Boys & Girls Clubs of America cannot be held liable for alleged sexual abuse perpetrated decades ago by a counselor employed by its Hudson County chapter, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled Wednesday.
The split decision, in which two justices issued a sharp dissent, was the latest in the ongoing debate about whether New Jersey courts have jurisdiction over civil litigation arising from sex abuse here that involves out-of-state nonprofits, religious institutions, and other entities.
Justice Rachel Wainer Apter, who penned the majority decision, said the circumstances of alleged abuse dictate whether an out-of-state parent group should bear culpability in New Jersey.
In the case at hand, nine people sued the national group, its Hudson County chapter, and Arthur Freudenberg, a part-time counselor for that chapter, for abuse they say occurred between 1976 and 1984 both at his apartment and during activities sponsored by the local chapter. He was charged with 493 counts of aggravated sexual assault of boys ages 11 to 13 in the 1980s and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
The plaintiffs had argued that the national group, which was chartered by Congress in Washington, D.C., and now is headquartered in Georgia, failed to adopt policies and procedures to safeguard children from sexual abuse, such as prohibiting volunteers or employees from taking minors home or spending time alone with them.
But the court’s majority was unswayed, noting that the plaintiffs’ argument would give…
