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Boy Scout Leaders Are Kicked Out After Toppling Rock Formation [VIDEO]

A group of Boy Scout leaders may find themselves facing felony charges after toppling a rock formation at Utah’s Goblin Valley State Park. The rock formation was estimated to be around 170 milli...
Boy Scout Leaders Are Kicked Out After Toppling Rock Formation [VIDEO]
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  • A group of Boy Scout leaders may find themselves facing felony charges after toppling a rock formation at Utah’s Goblin Valley State Park. The rock formation was estimated to be around 170 million years old before Glenn Taylor, one of the Boy Scout leaders, gave a boulder a shove and knocked over the formation. Taylor claims he toppled the formation to save lives.

    The video of the Boy Scout leaders whooping it up over knocking over the ancient rock formation was uploaded to Facebook last week by the man who took the video at Goblin Valley, Dave Hall. Hall can be heard saying, “Some little kid was about ready to walk down here and die and Glenn saved his life by getting the boulder out of the way, so it’s all about saving lives here at Goblin Valley.” The men proceeded to dance and cheer after toppling the boulder.

    The men were leading a group of 14 to 16-year-old Boy Scouts on a trip when they noticed that the rock formation was unstable. “I put my hand on a rock and it moved,” Taylor told the Salt Lake Tribune. Taylor says he spied a family below and was concerned about their safety. “While we were sitting right there we thought, ‘Man if this rock falls it’ll kill them.’ I didn’t have to push hard.”

    Apparently the Boy Scouts of America don’t quite view this as a heroic feat, as Hall and Taylor were removed from the organization today. Read the statement made by Deron Smith, the PR director for the Boy Scouts of America:

    We are shocked and disappointed by this reprehensible behavior. For more than a century, the Boy Scouts of America has been a leader in conservation—from stewardship to sustainability. We teach our 2.6 million youth members and 1.1 million adult members, who collectively spend more than 5.5 million nights outdoors, the principles of “Leave No Trace.”

    These principles stress a commitment to maintaining the integrity and character of the outdoors and all living things. The isolated actions of these individuals are absolutely counter to our beliefs and what we teach. We are reviewing this matter and will take appropriate action.

    Hall says there are no hard feelings about the decision. “We’ve always supported the Boy Scouts and if that’s what they feel is best, we support that decision,” Hall said. “We’re extremely sorry for our mistake. We look forward to doing everything we can to make it right and move on.”

    Even though the Boy Scout leaders claim that toppling the ancient rock formation was all about helping others, they may need a little help themselves now, since they may face felony charges. Deputy Emery County Attorney Brent Langston said that Taylor, as well as anyone who egged him on his criminal behavior, could face second degree felony charges, depending on the value placed on the rock formation.

    Image via YouTube

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