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GOP lawmaker apologizes for mocking NH youth center victims, urges more oversight of settlement money

NH Rep. Ken Weyler
Zoey Knox
/
NHPR
Rep. Ken Weyler, pictured here during an April 2023 legislative session, is the New Hampshire House's top budget writer.

A top Republican lawmaker who insulted people abused at New Hampshire’s youth detention facility has issued a written apology after facing mounting criticism. But he's also now calling for tighter controls over state payments to victims.

"First, we are going to have compulsory counseling. Then, you are going to have some more guidance on what you missed out on, by going through all this," Rep. Ken Weyler said Wednesday afternoon. "We want to give you some guidance on how you can mend your life, instead of just, 'Woo, going to Vegas!'"

Weyler, who leads the House Finance Committee, said last week that the state should not have set aside so much money to pay out the abuse claims. He also mocked the victims as unworthy of support and implied they were responsible for the abuse they suffered as children.

"We can’t break the budget with this ridiculousness for people who haven't obeyed the rules, and acting like, ‘Oh, you are rewarded.’ Rewarded for what? A misspent life,” Weyler said. “It just doesn’t make sense to me that someone who got abused, abused others and abused themselves should be rewarded and that’s the way it looks: Someone on the streets says, ‘YDC, I’ll just say they abused me and I’ll become a millionaire.’ This is the example we’re setting.”

Weyler did not respond to NHPR’s request for comment on the matter. But when initially confronted with questions from other news outlets, he refused to back down — saying his main concern with the settlements are the size of the payouts.

“What are you going to do when you get a pile of money? You’re probably going to spend it on drugs and alcohol,” Weyler told InDepthNH.

In a written statement issued through the New Hampshire House communications office Wednesday morning, Weyler apologized for his “insensitive remarks.”

“Victim-blaming has no place in any conversation, especially when it comes to those who have endured such trauma,” the statement read. “It is vital to recognize the deep harm these individuals have faced and to approach the matter with empathy and support.”

The statement went on to say that “trauma cannot be measured in dollars.” But it also emphasized that part of Weyler’s job as the leader of the House Finance Committee is “to acknowledge the concerns surrounding public resources and the strain that further compensation may place on taxpayers.”

“That being said, we recognize the breach of trust that resulted in these crimes, and it is crucial that we work together to ensure accountability and healing while also being mindful of the broader financial implications,” Weyler's statement read. “I remain committed to addressing these issues with the respect, understanding, and care they deserve.”

More than 1,000 people have alleged that they were abused at New Hampshire’s Youth Development Center over the span of several decades, in one of the biggest youth detention scandals in U.S. history.

The New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office is prosecuting some of the alleged assailants — including former state employees — and lawmakers have set aside hundreds of millions of dollars to compensate victims.

More from NHPR's Document team: Almost 1,300 people say New Hampshire failed to act to protect them from child abuse at youth facilities. Here’s what the allegations reveal.

By the time Weyler’s apology was released, he was facing pushback from the public and fellow lawmakers. On X, Republican Rep. Kelley Potenza called Weyler’s remarks “abhorrent and disgusting.”

“What an absolute disgrace for him to be a NH state representative,” she wrote.

House Democrats urged House Speaker Sherman Packard to force Weyler to recuse himself from work related to the YDC settlements. Packard did not respond to a request for comment.

Weyler is no stranger to controversy over offensive or conspiratorial comments.

In 2021, the state health commissioner publicly accused Weyler of spreading disinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine. Later that year, Weyler lost his post as House finance chair for circulating a document full of conspiracy theories about vaccines and the Catholic Church. Packard later reappointed Weyler to the job.

Last year, Weyler had to deliver a public apology for heckling a fellow lawmaker on the House floor.

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Updated: February 5, 2025 at 5:36 PM EST
This story was updated to reflect additional comments made by Rep. Ken Weyler on Wednesday.
Updated: February 5, 2025 at 12:43 PM EST
This story was updated after the House communications office sent an apology on behalf of Rep. Ken Weyler on Wednesday morning.
I cover campaigns, elections, and government for NHPR. Stories that attract me often explore New Hampshire’s highly participatory political culture. I am interested in how ideologies – doctrinal and applied – shape our politics. I like to learn how voters make their decisions and explore how candidates and campaigns work to persuade them.
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