A lawsuit was brought against the Boy Scouts Thursday on behalf of a youth who was injured in the left eye by a catapulted potato during an overnight troop camping outing in Santa Clarita in 2017.
The Los Angeles Superior Court negligence suit names as defendants the Boy Scouts of America Western Los Angeles County Council, the Boy Scouts of America and the Greater Santa Clarita Optimist Club and seeks unspecified damages on behalf of the boy, a minor whose age is not specified in the complaint.
A representative for the Boy Scouts of America Western Los Angeles County Council did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
According to the lawsuit, Boy Scout Troop 499, operated by the Western Los Angeles County Council and sponsored by the Greater Santa Clarita Optimist Club, had an overnight camping event, dubbed the Troop 499 Zombie Overnighter, at Hart Park in Santa Clarita on Nov. 4. 2017.
Several activities were planned for the scouts and for the Cub Scout Webelos who were invited to attend and all of the events were under the guidance of a scoutmaster, who was in charge of the troop’s activities and the safety of the scouts, according to the lawsuit.
One of the activities planned for the overnighter was the catapulting of potatoes using a makeshift slingshot, according to the suit. The troop’s scoutmaster, who was in charge of coordinating the event and was responsible for making sure it was conducted safely, failed to take reasonable steps to protect the scouts, such as obtaining protective eyewear and the plaintiff was struck by a potato in the left eye as a result, the suit alleges.
The suit alleges “the plaintiff suffered, and continues to suffer from, physical and emotional injuries, including disfigurement.”
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