The Boy Scouts of America on Tuesday filed for bankruptcy protection, as one of the country’s largest youth organizations tries to endure intensifying legal pressure over accusations of childhood sexual abuse going back decades.

The chapter 11 filing covers the national Boy Scouts organization and automatically halts the hundreds of lawsuits it faces alleging sexual misconduct by employees or volunteers. The Boy Scouts are seeking to compensate claimants through bankruptcy proceedings while protecting 261 local scouting councils across the country and the billions of dollars in assets they hold.

The bankruptcy filing marks a watershed moment in the 110-year history of the Boy Scouts, which for years have been embroiled in lawsuits blaming the organization for failing to screen out sexual predators. It said in court papers that its “ability to deliver its mission to future generations of scouts may be in peril” unless it can reach a broad settlement of hundreds of current and future sex-abuse claims.

Laws passed in California, New York and other states have created temporary windows allowing for sex-abuse lawsuits to be filed regardless of when the alleged abuse occurred, exposing the Boys Scouts to an unprecedented level of potential liability.

These laws took effect in more than a dozen states last year, opening the courthouse doors to more potential claimants. States including Florida, Ohio and Virginia are also considering passing similar legislation.