DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN (PIX11) — The Madison Square Boys and Girls Club is closing its Navy Yard Clubhouse on Nassau Street in Downtown Brooklyn. The last in-person day for teens is May 12. The last day for children aged 5 to 12 is June 27.
The organization said in a memo that it reached an agreement with the committee representing abuse survivors who filed claims against the organization under the New York State Child Victims Act. Donald C. Devine and Richard Eaddy, co-presidents of Madison’s Board of Directors, said, “In order to meet the financial requirements of this settlement in a responsible manner, the Madison Board of Directors and executive leadership concluded that the only path forward is to sell the Navy Yard Clubhouse in Brooklyn.”
The memo further states, “The litigation against Madison followed the passage of the CVA in 2019. The vast majority of the claims relate to the conduct of the late Dr. Reginald Archibald, a pediatric endocrinologist who was employed by The Rockefeller University and volunteered as a physician at Madison’s former clubhouse on East 29th Street in Manhattan, which closed in 1999. Dr. Archibald, who is deceased, had not been affiliated with Madison since the 1980s.”
Parents, teens and former employees held a protest Monday evening outside the Nassau Street location. They said the organization failed to notify them in advance and didn’t seek input from members or the community.
Desiree Bady’s son attended the Navy Yard Clubhouse and she worked there for 20 years. “What are the families going to do with their children after school?” Bady said.
Nasiah Cockerl, 18, told PIX11 News he’s been attending the Boys and Girls Club for two years. “It’s like a family environment here, and we felt comfortable and safe here. It just breaks my heart to know the people in the projects, across the street, the little kids, they don’t really have somewhere else to go,” Cockerl said.
Madison Square’s other five locations in New York City will remain open.
