Corrections officers at a juvenile detention facility failed to intervene nearly two years ago when a 19-year-old was brutally beaten by three other inmates in a planned attack, according to a lawsuit.
The Essex County man was left blind in one eye and is still psychologically scarred following the attack at the Juvenile Medium Security Facility in Fieldsboro, Burlington County on Aug. 4, 2022, the suit alleges.
The attack was planned in advance by the assailants and took place as the victim was playing cards in a common area, the plaintiff’s attorney said. Only one corrections officer was in the area at the time even though the officers knew an assault was about to occur, the suit alleges.
“The JJC has a duty — a constitutional mandate — to protect these young men from from known assaults or other threats,” Ernesto Cerimele said by phone on Wednesday. “Their failure to do that on this occasion resulted in severe life-threatening injuries.”
A spokeswoman for the state Office of the Attorney General, which oversees the Juvenile Justice Commission, declined to comment on the lawsuit Wednesday. Five corrections officers, a sergeant and Superintendent Christian Nnajiofor are named as defendants in the suit, filed Tuesday in Mercer County.
The attack took place as the victim was playing cards with another inmate. One of the assailants stood behind the victim and began punching him before two other attackers joined in and began throwing punches, the lawsuit said. Two of the inmates then climbed on the table and stomped the victim on his head at least four times each. The attackers then punched the victim a few more times, the lawsuit claims.
The corrections officer stood watching when the attack started and waited a short time before calling five other corrections officers and a sergeant, the suit alleges. While he waited for backup, the officer made no attempt to intervene.
The other officers finally arrived and broke up the attack. All are identified only by their last names in the lawsuit.
The assault was allegedly captured on surveillance cameras.
Prior to be being attacked, the victim already had a heart condition, high blood pressure, asthma, and received physical therapy as a result of a prior serious car accident, according to the lawsuit.
He still is in physical pain from the beating, Cerimele said. The man was released from the juvenile facility in the spring and now “leads a productive life,” his lawyer said.
The assailants were later convicted for their roles in the attack, Cerimele said. The JJC didn’t respond to a question asking whether the guards were disciplined. Cerimele also said it was unclear if any were punished.