The father of David Meehan, who claims he was regularly raped and beaten as a teen at a youth detention center in New Hampshire, testified briefly in court, stating that his son had a reputation for dishonesty. Since David Meehan came forward in 2017, 11 former state workers have been arrested, and over 1,100 former residents of the facility have filed lawsuits alleging abuse spanning six decades. David Meehan’s lawsuit was the first to be filed and the first to go to trial. During his time on the witness stand, the state’s lawyers questioned Meehan extensively about his childhood and painted him as a violent boy who falsely accused his parents of abuse.
In contrast, David Meehan’s father was questioned for only five minutes, where he described enrolling his son in activities such as Cub Scouts and seeking help for him. He contradicted his son’s claim that his then-wife burned him with cigarettes, stating that he did not smoke and did not allow cigarettes in the home. When asked if his son had a reputation for untruthfulness, the elder Meehan answered yes. However, under questioning from his son’s attorney, he acknowledged that some of his son’s dishonesty occurred during a period of drug addiction.
Over three weeks of trial, jurors heard from Meehan and more than a dozen witnesses called by his attorneys, including former staff members who faced resistance and threats when raising concerns, as well as a former resident who described being raped. The first witnesses for the defense included a woman who spent nearly 40 years at the youth detention center as a counselor, teacher, and principal, and a child psychologist who criticized the previous experts. The psychologist evaluated Meehan when he was 13 and stated that it was fair to say he had significant mental health issues before being sent to the center.
Despite claims from a former teacher about seeing suspicious bruises on Meehan and other teens in the 1990s, former principal Marie Sullivan stated she never saw signs of abuse. Sullivan mentioned that staff and teachers cared about the teens and that it was a challenging job that required dedication. The defense also called into question the credibility of Meehan’s experts, claiming they assumed he was telling the truth without performing tests to assess the validity of his claims. While Meehan testified that he used heroin to cope with PTSD from the alleged abuse, the defense painted a different picture of his character and history, casting doubt on the credibility of his allegations.
