BRENTWOOD, N.H. — After hours of deliberation, a New Hampshire jury issued a groundbreaking $38 million verdict against the state for enabling abuse at the now-defunct Youth Development Center (YDC), marking a significant moment in a series of heavy allegations surrounding the treatment of detained children.
The plaintiff, David Meehan, was awarded $18 million in compensatory damages and $20 million in punitive damages on Friday, recognized as the highest civil jury verdict in New Hampshire’s history. Meehan’s legal team argued successfully that the state’s Department of Health and Human Services had neglected their duty to protect him from persistent abuse during the 1990s.
The state, however, indicated that the payout would be severely limited due to a law capping damages at $475,000 per incident. The assistant attorney general, Brandon Chase, maintained that the jury acknowledged only one incident of abuse—a point contested by Meehan’s lawyers.
Despite the state’s stance on the financial cap, Meehan’s attorney, Rus Rilee, championed the verdict’s impact. “David Meehan is overwhelmed and overjoyed by today’s result,” Rilee stated. He emphasized the verdict’s symbolic importance in holding the state accountable, irrespective of the ultimate compensation awarded.
The lawsuit is the first among over a thousand similar claims filed since 2020, accusing the YDC and more than 50 affiliated facilities of widespread abuse. This case could likely influence the outcomes of hundreds of pending lawsuits, setting a precedent for accountability.
Testimonies during the trial painted a stark picture of the environment at the YDC, where Meehan, starting from the age of 13, faced repeated rapes by staff members, including Jeffrey Buskey, who has pleaded not guilty to criminal charges of abuse. Other former employees described a violent culture where complaints were systematically ignored and staff were discouraged from believing children’s reports over their colleagues.
The state’s defense argued against the existence of a widespread culture of abuse, attributing the illegal actions to a few “rogue” employees. However, the counternarrative provided by witnesses and former YDC staff underscored systemic failures in supervising and training that permitted the abuse to persist.
As the state concurrently prosecutes former YDC employees and manages settlements for proven claims of abuse, the attorney general’s office faces the complex challenge of balancing its roles. Already, New Hampshire has agreed to pay more than $66 million to 134 claimants, with ongoing legislative efforts to increase compensation through a designated fund.
The outcome of Meehan’s case not only serves as a potential bellwether for other plaintiffs but also puts the spotlight on the state’s responsibility and response to historical abuses. It raises critical questions about how future cases will be handled, whether through court battles or settlements, and amplifies the dialogue on the rights and protections due to vulnerable populations under state care.
As proceedings continue and legislative actions unfold, the resolution of this case and its implications are likely to prompt significant reforms in how juvenile justice systems operate and are monitored, ensuring better protection and accountability measures are in place to safeguard the welfare of children in state facilities.