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Youth Development Center abuse trial: Former worker testifies

OUTSIDE THE COURTHOUSE WHERE THE TRIAL WAS DELAYED THIS MORNING, THAT DELAY WAS ABOUT AN HOUR, AS THE JUDGE AND LAWYERS HAMMERED OUT DISAGREEMENT OVER A DOCUMENT PERTAINING TO A RIOT AND ATTEMPTED ESCAPE BY MEEHAN. NOW, WAYNE EIGENBROD WAS BACK ON THE STAND TODAY AS HIS TESTIMONY RESUMED. EIGENBROD WAS WORKING AT THE FACILITY WHEN THERE WAS A RIOT IN 1995. UNDER QUESTIONING, HE ALSO TESTIFIED ABOUT AN ATTEMPTED ESCAPE INVOLVING MEEHAN AND TWO OTHERS. NOW, DURING PREVIOUS TESTIMONY, EIGENBROD TOLD OF HIS WORK AS A TRAINING COORDINATOR, SAYING HE HAD TROUBLE GETTING STAFF MEMBERS TO COME TO TRAINING AND SUPERVISORS DIDN’T SEEM TO CARE. THE PROSECUTION SPENT MUCH OF THE MORNING ASKING ABOUT MEEHAN’S BEHAVIOR, AND AT THE END ASKED EIGENBROD ABOUT ANY KNOWLEDGE HE MIGHT HAVE ABOUT MEEHAN’S CLAIM THAT HE WAS SEXUALLY ABUSED. I IN YOUR TIME WORKING AT YMCA, I HONESTLY DON’T KNOW, I DON’T REMEMBER, THERE’S BEEN SO MANY THINGS THAT HAVE GONE THROUGH OUR OFFICE TO INVESTIGATE FROM SIMPLE LITTLE THINGS I COULDN’T TELL YOU. IF SO, YOU DON’T RECALL? NO, I DO NOT. ONCE EIGENBROD FINISHES HIS TESTIMONY, THE PLAINTIFFS ARE EXPECTED TO CALL HIS SUPERVISOR NEXT. THE TRIAL IS EXPECTED TO LAST TWO WEEKS. NOW, THIS IS JUST THE FIRST OF WHAT ARE EXPECTED TO BE NUMEROUS TRIALS INVOLVING ALLEGATIONS OF PHYSICAL AND SEXUAL ABUSE AT YDC, REPORTING LIVE

Former Youth Detention Center worker testifies in abuse trial about riot, escape attempt

Man sues New Hampshire over allegations of physical, sexual abuse

** Warning: This trial involves allegations of physical and sexual abuse against a teenager. Contents may be disturbing. **Testimony resumed Thursday in the civil trial against New Hampshire over allegations of physical and sexual abuse at the Youth Development Center.Accuser David Meehan is suing for millions of dollars, saying he was sexually and physically abused while in state care in the late 1990s.There was a delay Thursday morning as the attorneys and the judge hammered out a disagreement over a document pertaining to a riot and attempted escape involving Meehan. The court decided to redact the names of the other children who were involved.Wayne Eigabroadt then resumed his testimony. He was working at the facility when there was a riot in 1995. Under questioning, he also testified about the attempted escape.>> Download the free WMUR app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play <<Eigabroadt was house leader at the YDC at the time and wrote up the violation for Meehan, who was sentenced to 10 days of confinement in his locked room.Assistant Attorney General Catherine Denny asked whether it was standard policy to have an investigation after such an incident.”I could not testify that there was a specific policy for that, because I don’t remember, but common sense it’s an incident that needs to be investigated,” Eigabroadt said. “That’s why it’s investigated.”During earlier testimony, Eigabroadt told of his work as a training coordinator, saying that he had trouble getting staff members to come to training, and supervisors didn’t seem to care.The prosecution spent much of the morning asking about Meehan’s behavior. Attorneys for the state then asked Eigabroadt about any knowledge he might have about Meehan’s claim that he was sexually abused.”I honestly don’t know. I don’t remember,” Eigabroadt said. “There’s been so many things that have gone through our office to investigate, from simple little things, I couldn’t tell you.”After Eigabroadt finished his testimony, the plaintiffs called his former supervisor, Virgil Bossum, to the stand. He discussed issues with training staff members and hearing complaints from the children.Bossum said he felt isolated at the YDC, saying other staff members were either friends outside of work or related to each other. He said there was no testing requirement to get his job, which was a first in his decades-long career in corrections.Part of Bossum’s job was to investigate complaints, but he said he couldn’t because the grievance boxes around the facility were constantly being destroyed and wouldn’t be fixed for weeks.”Sometimes they would say the staff broke the box,” Bossum testified.The trial session ended early Thursday after lunch because of a medical issue with someone involved in the trial. No further information was provided. The trial is scheduled to resume at 9 a.m. Friday.The trial is expected to last two weeks. It’s the first of what is expected to be several trials related to claims of abuse at the YDC.Youth Detention Center trial updatesTrial videos:April 11, 2024: Note: Because of technical issues, the remainder of Wayne Eigabroadt’s testimony is unavailable | Virgil Bossum, former training development manager at YDC: Part 1April 10, 2024: Testimony: Karen Lemoine, former guard at YDC: Part 1, Part 2 | Gerard Lemoine, son of Karen Lemoine | Wayne Eigabroadt, former officer and trainer at YDC: Part 1, Part 2April 9, 2024: Judge addresses jurors | Opening statements: Plaintiff | DefenseLatest articles:April 10, 2024: Testimony begins in abuse civil case against Youth Detention Center April 9, 2024: Opening statements delivered in first abuse civil case against Youth Detention Center April 8, 2024: Jury selection underway for first civil case against former Youth Detention Center

** Warning: This trial involves allegations of physical and sexual abuse against a teenager. Contents may be disturbing. **

Testimony resumed Thursday in the civil trial against New Hampshire over allegations of physical and sexual abuse at the Youth Development Center.

Accuser David Meehan is suing for millions of dollars, saying he was sexually and physically abused while in state care in the late 1990s.

There was a delay Thursday morning as the attorneys and the judge hammered out a disagreement over a document pertaining to a riot and attempted escape involving Meehan. The court decided to redact the names of the other children who were involved.

Wayne Eigabroadt then resumed his testimony. He was working at the facility when there was a riot in 1995. Under questioning, he also testified about the attempted escape.

>> Download the free WMUR app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play <<

Eigabroadt was house leader at the YDC at the time and wrote up the violation for Meehan, who was sentenced to 10 days of confinement in his locked room.

Assistant Attorney General Catherine Denny asked whether it was standard policy to have an investigation after such an incident.

“I could not testify that there was a specific policy for that, because I don’t remember, but common sense it’s an incident that needs to be investigated,” Eigabroadt said. “That’s why it’s investigated.”

During earlier testimony, Eigabroadt told of his work as a training coordinator, saying that he had trouble getting staff members to come to training, and supervisors didn’t seem to care.

The prosecution spent much of the morning asking about Meehan’s behavior. Attorneys for the state then asked Eigabroadt about any knowledge he might have about Meehan’s claim that he was sexually abused.

“I honestly don’t know. I don’t remember,” Eigabroadt said. “There’s been so many things that have gone through our office to investigate, from simple little things, I couldn’t tell you.”

After Eigabroadt finished his testimony, the plaintiffs called his former supervisor, Virgil Bossum, to the stand. He discussed issues with training staff members and hearing complaints from the children.

Bossum said he felt isolated at the YDC, saying other staff members were either friends outside of work or related to each other. He said there was no testing requirement to get his job, which was a first in his decades-long career in corrections.

Part of Bossum’s job was to investigate complaints, but he said he couldn’t because the grievance boxes around the facility were constantly being destroyed and wouldn’t be fixed for weeks.

“Sometimes they would say the staff broke the box,” Bossum testified.

The trial session ended early Thursday after lunch because of a medical issue with someone involved in the trial. No further information was provided. The trial is scheduled to resume at 9 a.m. Friday.

The trial is expected to last two weeks. It’s the first of what is expected to be several trials related to claims of abuse at the YDC.

Youth Detention Center trial updates

Trial videos:

April 11, 2024: Note: Because of technical issues, the remainder of Wayne Eigabroadt’s testimony is unavailable | Virgil Bossum, former training development manager at YDC: Part 1
April 10, 2024: Testimony: Karen Lemoine, former guard at YDC: Part 1, Part 2 | Gerard Lemoine, son of Karen Lemoine | Wayne Eigabroadt, former officer and trainer at YDC: Part 1, Part 2
April 9, 2024: Judge addresses jurors | Opening statements: Plaintiff | Defense