Judge Denies Girl’s Bid to Join Cub Scout Camp

A judge refused Saturday to admit an 8-year-old girl to her brothers’ Cub Scout camp, saying issues of sex discrimination and psychological harm should be decided at a trial and not an emergency hearing.

Margo Mankes, a third-grader, sued to attend the five-day summer camp starting Monday, saying that she was bored with Girl Scouts arts and crafts and wanted to join the boys.

Dade County Circuit Judge Eugene Fierro denied the motion for an injunction to force the Boy Scouts to accept her and advised the family’s attorney to file for a trial.

Margo, who doodled on a legal pad during most of the hearing, cried when Fierro made his decision. While her brothers get to go to camp Monday, “I’ll have to go back to court,” she said.

The decision was the second court rejection for Margo in as many days.

U.S. District Judge James Lawrence King dismissed her case Friday, saying it did not belong in federal court. Although he did not formally rule on the merits of the case, he said there was nothing inherently discriminatory about Boy Scout goals.

Fierro said he could not rule in an emergency hearing on the issue of whether girls should be admitted into the Boy Scouts.

He cited testimony from a psychologist who said that a one- or two-day delay would have a minimal effect on Margo, and he noted that the issue of insurance liability should be a trial consideration.

Margo’s attorney, Mark Rubin, said he plans to ask Monday for an expedited hearing.

“We are not going to be thwarted in our effort. The road will not stop here,” Rubin said. “We will go on . . . until the Boy Scouts yield to admit girl members.”

Letting Margo attend the camp would cause a disruption and raise questions about insurance liability for a non-Scout, attorneys for the Boy Scouts argued. They also contended that letting Margo go to the camp would threaten the organization’s principles.

“The program is designed for boys, the program has handled boys and only boys are scheduled to go to camp,” said John Kralik IV, representing the Boy Scouts of America. “The Cub Scouts are not prepared for this kind of disruption.”