Bossom, a former training development manager at the youth detention center, testified in a civil trial seeking to hold the state accountable for child abuse at the facility. He revealed that top-level administrators at the center sided with staff against residents, leading to a culture where lower-level workers wanted to punish kids for speaking up. Bossom described a conversation with the facility’s superintendent, where he was told he could not take a kid’s word over a staff member’s word, which upset him. He also mentioned that an even higher-level administrator held the same view, while other staffers took disciplinary action against teens whose complaints were later deemed unfounded.
Lawyers for the state rebutted Bossom’s claims by pointing out instances where employees were fired for violating rules in the mid-1990s. Despite this, Bossom acknowledged that he never raised concerns about abuse against Meehan or addressed broader problems at the time while serving as the interim ombudsman. The attorney for the state questioned Bossom about an incident where Meehan was accused of plotting to take another resident hostage, implying that Meehan’s credibility may be questionable. However, Meehan’s attorney argued that given the daily sexual assaults Meehan was enduring, it was understandable that he wanted to escape, a sentiment Bossom agreed with.
The state’s lawyers also attempted to undermine Meehan’s credibility by reviewing reports from incidents where Meehan claimed workers had assaulted him. Despite one complaint being deemed unfounded, Meehan’s attorney argued that the workers involved are among those facing criminal charges. The youth center, now named the Sununu Youth Services Center, has faced numerous allegations of abuse, with eleven former state workers currently facing criminal charges. Since Meehan went to the police in 2017, efforts have been made to close the facility and replace it with a smaller building in a new location, as well as creating a $100 million fund to settle abuse claims.
The dynamic of the attorney general’s office prosecuting alleged perpetrators while also defending the state in civil cases involving abuse claims has created a complicated legal situation. With over 1,100 former residents filing lawsuits alleging abuse spanning six decades, the state is facing significant legal challenges in addressing the systemic issues at the youth detention center. The testimony from Bossom sheds light on the culture of siding with staff against residents at the facility and the challenges of addressing abuse allegations. It remains to be seen how the civil trial will proceed and what impact it will have on accountability for the child abuse that occurred at the Sununu Youth Services Center.
