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Girl Scouts Sue Boy Scouts Over Name Change to Attract Girls


FILE - A detail of a Boy Scout uniform in front of the Boy Scouts of America headquarters in Irving, Texas, Feb. 4, 2013.
FILE - A detail of a Boy Scout uniform in front of the Boy Scouts of America headquarters in Irving, Texas, Feb. 4, 2013.

The Girl Scouts of the United States of America has filed a lawsuit against the Boy Scouts of America for dropping the word "boy" from its flagship program in an effort to attract girls.

In the complaint filed Monday in Manhattan federal court, the Girls Scouts claim the name change erodes "its core brand identity" and sows confusion among the public. They say the Boy Scouts have no right to rebrand themselves as "The Scouts" or use terms like "scouts" or "scouting" to open the program to girls.

A Girl Scout works on a laptop computer, in a photo released June 21, 2017.
A Girl Scout works on a laptop computer, in a photo released June 21, 2017.

​The Boy Scouts, which announced the name change to its program for 11- to 17-year-olds in May, said it was reviewing the lawsuit. In a statement, it said it believed there is an opportunity for both organizations to serve girls.

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