Back in 1966, Richard Herbert Smith was convicted in New York on four counts of child sexual abuse, including sodomy and carnal abuse of a child. Despite this earlier conviction, Smith was able to register as a Scoutmaster for Boy Scout Troop 269 in Tillamook, Oregon, where he served from 1981 until 1983. It wasn’t until April 1991 when BSA permanently placed Richard Herbert Smith on the Boy Scouts “Ineligible Volunteer” list.
In July 1990, a “Confidential Record Sheet” was sent to the national office of Boy Scouts by a paid Scout Executive working for the Columbia Pacific Council of the BSA, after it was learned that Smith was arrested in Oregon and convicted of oral sodomy with a child. According to the record sheet, Smith was “eased out” of his troop in 1983, however BSA did not officially exclude him from Scouting at that time. While it’s unclear why Smith was “eased out” of the troop, it’s likely that BSA had learned about Smith’s past conviction and no longer wanted him to be a part of Troop 269.
Even though BSA learned about Smith’s new crimes in July 1990, it wasn’t until April 1991, almost a year after the Boy Scouts learned of the abuse, that they officially excluded Smith from volunteering with Scouts. When the Boy Scouts failed to stop Richard Herbert Smith, they failed the children he abused.
If you have information about Richard Herbert Smith, or if you or someone you love was abused by a Scout volunteer, Scout employee, or other Scout, please contact us at 503-952-6789 or email us at info@dumaslawgroup.com.