Filing window status
In 2020 New Hampshire eliminated the statute of limitations for civil claims based on sexual assault, and survivors have pursued both the state settlement fund and civil lawsuits — the fund's filing window closed December 31, 2024, but litigation continues. How these deadlines apply to a given claim, including claims against the state, has been actively contested in the courts, so a free, confidential review is the best way to understand your options.
Deadlines are state-specific and change often. Even if you think a window has passed, it is worth confirming — exceptions can apply. A free, confidential review can tell you where you stand.
The record
Key Facts
Fact 01
$38 million jury verdict (2024) — largest in NH history
Source: New Hampshire Public Radio
Fact 02
Settlement-fund payouts topped $156 million
Source: WBUR / InDepthNH (through Dec. 31, 2024)
Fact 03
Fund initially authorized at $100 million
Source: New Hampshire Legislature
Fact 04
Verdict challenged before the NH Supreme Court
Source: U.S. News / NHPR
What is documented
The Allegations
The full account
The Record
New Hampshire's state youth detention center in Manchester — operated for decades as the Youth Development Center (YDC) and later renamed the Sununu Youth Services Center — is the subject of one of the largest state-run institutional abuse scandals in the country, with hundreds of former residents alleging sexual and physical abuse by staff.
In 2024, in the first case to go to trial, a jury returned a $38 million verdict for survivor David Meehan, who alleged he was raped and beaten repeatedly at the facility in the 1990s — reported as the largest personal-injury award in New Hampshire history. The state has asked the New Hampshire Supreme Court to reduce the award under a statutory damages cap, a dispute that was pending in 2026.
Separately, New Hampshire created a settlement fund, initially authorized at $100 million, to compensate survivors of abuse at the facility. By the time the filing window closed on December 31, 2024, the fund had paid out more than $156 million — surpassing initial legislative projections.
Sources & attribution