March 17, 2026

Historic apology from state senator to YDC survivors

To our clients—

Last week, New Hampshire state Senator David Watters delivered what we believe is the first-ever public apology from a sitting elected official for the abuse that took place at the Youth Development Center.

Watters acknowledged the sexual abuse that occurred there, apologized to survivors and the people of New Hampshire, and called on everyone to remember what happened and ensure it never occurs again.

In his March 12 remarks, Watters said:

“No public official has ever apologized. ...I do want to take a moment to apologize here and now to the victims and the people of New Hampshire for the sexual abuse. We remember, let’s say never again.”

Watters also introduced Senate Bill 668, which would have placed a historic marker at the site of the Youth Development Center. Unfortunately, the bill did not pass.

What does this mean for you?

Senator Watters’ words, while significant, do not resolve the outstanding legal and financial issues that the state continues to grapple with. As we shared in our last update:

• The YDC Settlement Fund still lacks sufficient money to pay existing approved awards, let alone new ones.
• The Executive Council vote on new claims administrator Judge Gerard Boyle's appointment is expected on March 25.
• Senate Bill 558, which addresses important measures to safeguard the administrator’s independence, remains under consideration by the Judiciary Committee.

In addition, many of the cases currently pending outside of the Settlement Fund remain stayed while we await important decisions from the New Hampshire Supreme Court, including a decision in the appeal following the $38 million jury verdict in David Meehan’s case.

We are continuing to fight on all fronts to ensure this moment of accountability is matched by meaningful and fair compensation for every one of you.

Thank you

We know this journey has been extraordinarily hard. Please know that we remain committed to seeing this through with you.

Phone number change

Starting June 1, 2026, we will discontinue the use of 603-628-4000. This means you can no longer reach a YDC attorney or victim specialist at this number.

PLEASE USE: 603-628-4060

**If you are incarcerated, please change your approved legal number to 603-628-4060 to ensure these calls are not recorded.**

How to reach us

The best ways to stay connected and reach our office are:

• CaseStatus app: Download the CaseStatus app from the App Store (iPhone) or Google Play (Android). Search for “CaseStatus,” download the app, and register using the email address associated with your case. Once set up, you can see updates on your case, receive notifications, and message our office directly. Please call and speak to a victim specialist if you have questions about this process.
• Client phone update line: Call 603-628-4060 and ask to be transferred to the update line to hear our regularly updated recorded message with the latest information. We update this line as developments occur, so please check back often.

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Thank you,