Scout Camp Abuse Survivor Wins $30M in Court Ruling

A New York State Supreme Court judge has awarded $30 million in damages to Jeff Pringle, a man who was sexually abused as a teenager at the Forestburg Scout Reservation in 1985. The ruling is believed to be the first verdict under the state’s Child Victims Act in Sullivan County, according to Isabel Braverman, Editor of the Sullivan County Democrat.

Pringle was 16 years old when he worked as a camp counselor at the Boy Scout camp nearly 40 years ago. During that summer, he was abused by a man who had posed as a medical professional at the camp.

According to court documents and reporting from the Sullivan County Democrat, the abuser, Paul Caillaud, presented himself to campers and staff as a licensed doctor. Pringle visited the camp’s infirmary with an ear infection after swimming in the lake, where Caillaud—claiming to be a doctor—allegedly held him and sexually assaulted him over the course of two nights.

Caillaud was reportedly a volunteer at the camp that summer and was not a licensed medical professional. He was originally from Florida and brought items like a medical briefcase and equipment to the camp to support his false credentials. It remains unclear how he gained access to the camp or how his impersonation went unchallenged at the time. The camp itself, and the Boy Scouts of America, were not named as defendants in this particular civil case.

It was Pringle’s mother, a nurse, who began to suspect something was wrong after her son described the so-called “medical treatment” he received. She questioned Caillaud and another nurse at the camp, eventually discovering he lacked a medical license. Her concerns led to a police investigation in 1985 and ultimately Caillaud’s conviction.

The $30 million award stems from Pringle’s decades-long suffering, which includes anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation—trauma the judge found credible and deeply damaging. The court also cited evidence of abuse against at least three other individuals, although specific details were not disclosed in the court record.

While the Forestburg Scout Reservation and the Boy Scouts of America were not part of this civil trial, Pringle is reportedly pursuing separate claims against the national scouting organization through its ongoing Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. His legal team argues the organization enabled abusers by granting access to vulnerable children.

The ruling is notable as the first known Child Victims Act verdict in Sullivan County. Enacted in 2019, the law created a legal window for survivors of childhood sexual abuse to file lawsuits, even decades after the abuse occurred. Prior to its passage, victims had until age 22 to bring civil claims.

More coverage of this case is available at scdemocratonline.com.

If you or someone you know is a survivor of abuse, help is available. Call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or visit RAINN.org for confidential support.

Image: The Forestburg Scout Reservation in Sullivan County, NY. (Credit: Forestburg Scout Reservation Facebook page)