Corrections officers did nothing as New Jersey teen was brutally beaten by other inmates, lawsuit says

Nearly two years ago, corrections officers at a juvenile detention center failed to intervene when a 19-year-old was brutally beaten by three other inmates in a planned attack, a lawsuit alleges.

The Essex County man was left blind in one eye and remains psychologically scarred after the attack at the Fieldsboro Medium Security Juvenile Facility in Burlington County on Aug. 4, 2022, the lawsuit alleges.

The attack was planned in advance by the assailants and occurred while 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, although the officers knew an assault was about to occur, the lawsuit said.

“The JJC has a duty – a constitutional mandate – to protect these young men from known assault or other threats,” Ernesto Cerimele said by phone Wednesday. “Their failure to do so has resulted in serious, life-threatening injuries.”

A spokeswoman for the state attorney general's office, 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 lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Mercer County.

The attack occurred while the victim was playing cards with another inmate. One of the attackers stood behind the victim and began punching him before two other attackers joined in and began punching him, the lawsuit said. Two of the inmates then got on the table and stomped on the victim's head at least four times each. The attackers then punched the victim a few more times, the lawsuit said.

The corrections officer observed the scene as the attack began and waited a moment before calling for five other corrections officers and a sergeant, the lawsuit alleges. While waiting for backup, the officer made no attempt to intervene.

Other officers eventually arrived and stopped the attack. All suspects are identified only by their last names in the trial.

The attack was reportedly caught on surveillance cameras.

Before being attacked, the victim already suffered from a heart condition, high blood pressure, asthma and had undergone physical therapy following a previous serious car accident, according to the lawsuit.

He is still suffering physically from the beating, Cerimele said. The man was released from the juvenile center in the spring and is now “living a productive life,” his attorney said.

The attackers were later convicted for their role in the attack, Cerimele said. The JJC did not respond to a question about whether the guards had been disciplined. Cerimele also said it was unclear whether any had been punished.