[Great Hall of Rockwall] SCA sued/federal complaint filed

[Kelli Quinn]

It goes without saying that this is bad. Really bad. It does explain the 
sudden interest in background checks, though.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07129/784449-85.stm

Six file federal complaint over sex abuse conviction

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

By Joann Loviglio, The Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA -- Six children who were sexually abused by the youth director 
of a medieval history society filed a federal complaint yesterday alleging 
the organization failed to take adequate precautions to safeguard children 
from predators.

The civil complaint stems from the conviction of Benjamin Schragger, 45, who 
in 2004 pleaded guilty but mentally ill to charges including involuntary 
deviate sexual intercourse, child rape, indecent assault and related counts.

The four boys and two girls, identified only as John Doe or Jane Doe in a 
pair of lawsuits filed in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia, are seeking 
unspecified damages from the Society for Creative Anachronism, a group with 
30,000 participants worldwide that studies and re-enacts the Middle Ages.

Mr. Schragger was known as "Lord Ben the Steward" to the dozens of children 
he mentored over the years as a local leader of the society. Mr. Schragger 
led the local chapter for more than 10 years and also directed the youth 
program for the society's East Kingdom, which stretches from Canada to 
Delaware.

The plaintiffs contend that the society failed to require background checks 
of adults who took part in children's activities, and didn't uniformly 
follow protocols widely used by scouting groups and other children's 
organizations that require two adults present at all activities.

The complaint also claims the society "adopted a head-in-the-sand attitude" 
after it knew, or should have known, about the abuse.

"It is time for the SCA to take responsibility for failing to protect these 
children," Jeff Fritz, attorney for five of the young plaintiffs, said in a 
statement. "The SCA failed to adopt and implement appropriate policies and 
procedures to protect these children, robbing them of their innocence."

On weekends, children gathered at Mr. Schragger's parents' farmhouse in New 
Tripoli, about 60 miles northwest of Philadelphia, to make period costumes, 
construct chain mail armor, engage in mock battles and do other activities 
related to the period. The home was known among group members as "Tulgey 
Woods" or "The Manor."

Prosecutors said Mr. Schragger abused 11 children, ages 7 to 14, from 1999 
to 2003, usually during sleepovers while Mr. Schragger's parents were away.

Mr. Schragger, who was deemed by the sentencing judge to be a sexually 
violent predator under Megan's Law, will not be eligible for parole for 
about 30 years.

The Society for Creative Anachronism, which has its headquarters in 
Milpitas, Calif., released a statement saying that it "intends to take all 
appropriate actions available to defend itself against the allegations in 
these suits."

Society officials and employees had "no prior knowledge of the misconduct 
and ... never received any complaints from anyone regarding Mr. Schragger 
prior to his arrest," the statement said. Mr. Schragger was suspended upon 
his arrest and his membership permanently revoked following his guilty plea, 
the group said.


( Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may 
not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. )



"I imagine I was always writing. Twaddle it was, too. But better far write 
twaddle or anything, anything, than nothing at all."

Katherine Mansfield (1888-1923)

Down the Rabbit Hole: downrabbit.blogspot.com

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