COUNTYWIDE : Legal Motions Delay Ousted Scouts’ Trial

Unexpected legal maneuvers Monday delayed the start of a trial between the Boy Scouts of America and twin Anaheim Hills brothers who have been excluded from the organization because they refuse to swear an oath to God.

The non-jury trial, which was scheduled to begin Monday, was postponed until Wednesday by Superior Court Judge Richard O. Frazee Sr. because of last-minute pretrial motions filed by both sides.

William and Michael Randall, twin 10-year-olds, are suing the Boy Scouts, claiming that it has illegally discriminated against them because of their views on God. The 80-year-old institution contends that it is a private organization that can selectively choose its members.

On Monday, attorneys from both sides defended their positions to reporters who had gathered for the start of the trial.

James Grafton Randall, the boys’ father and attorney, said he was pursuing the lawsuit because “there are some worthwhile principles involved.”

The Boy Scouts’ efforts to exclude his sons are “outrageous,” Randall said.

He said that even a favorable outcome in the trial might come too late for his sons. “Considering the appeals . . . I don’t think my sons will ever wear a Scout uniform again,” he said.

The American Civil Liberties Union has joined the Randalls in their lawsuit and is providing co-counsel.

George A. Davidson, the attorney for the Orange County Council of the Boy Scouts of America, said the organization is fighting to preserve its fundamental principles.

The “duty-to-God” principle “helps parents reinforce that value in their sons,” Davidson said.

He said that Scouts are required to say the word God in the Cub Scout Promise, but the organization does not advocate a particular religion.