Former teacher Brenda Wouters testified in a civil trial that she reported suspicious bruises on at least half a dozen teenage boys at New Hampshire’s youth detention center in the 1990s, including David Meehan, who has filed a lawsuit against the state for abuse he says he suffered as a teen. Wouters recalled Meehan growing withdrawn and sullen during his time at the center, and witnessed him with a black eye twice. She also saw other teens with marks on their bodies and described disturbing instances of staff forcing kids to fight each other until one complied with the staff’s demands.
Wouters reported her concerns to residential staff and her boss, as well as the state’s Division of Children, Youth and Families, but did not see any follow-up action. However, she never witnessed abuse directly and did not file any written complaints at the time. The state’s attorney questioned Wouters on these points and pointed out that Meehan was only in her class during the spring of 1996, a time when he does not allege abuse. Despite this, Wouters insisted that she would have still interacted with him after that period.
The state’s attorneys argue that the state should not be held liable for the actions of “rogue” employees at the detention center. They have also suggested that Meehan may be lying in order to receive monetary compensation and that he waited too long to file his lawsuit, citing the statute of limitations for such cases. The statute of limitations is typically three years from the date of injury, but there are exceptions for cases where victims were not aware of the link to the wrongful party. The judge denied the state’s request for a verdict based on the statute of limitations, stating that the jury will decide.
The trial’s 15th day will see the state presenting their side of the case, after which the jury will make a decision. Wouters’ testimony, along with that of other witnesses, sheds light on the disturbing allegations of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse at the youth detention center. Meehan’s lawsuit represents one of many filed by former residents of the facility, highlighting decades of abuse that have allegedly occurred. The outcome of this trial will be significant in determining the accountability of the state and seeking justice for those who have suffered.
