Ten women alleged in lawsuits filed over the last week that a female correctional officer sexually assaulted and harassed them while they were held at a minimum-security state prison in Concord from 2003 to 2022.
The lawsuits – which were filed separately in Merrimack County Superior Court – accuse former correctional officer Deborah Steele of touching their genitals during body pat searches and conducting improper urine tests. Two plaintiffs also accused Steele of sexually assaulting them outside of the facility. The women allege that the New Hampshire Department of Corrections, which is also named as a defendant, ignored their numerous complaints.
The lawsuits – filed last Friday and this Monday – were first reported on by the Boston Globe.
The alleged sexual assaults occurred at Shea Farm, a DOC-run transitional housing facility in the south end of Concord for inmates who are preparing to be released from incarceration.
Steele was a correctional officer there from 1996 to 2021, according to the lawsuits. She could not be reached for comment.
A DOC spokesperson declined to comment on the allegations but wrote that the department “maintains a zero-tolerance policy against all forms of sexual abuse, sexual battery and sexual harassment.”
“All allegations of misconduct are taken with the seriousness that they deserve and are thoroughly investigated by a highly trained team of investigators,” DOC spokesperson Jane Graham wrote.
The 10 women, who are all represented by the Concord-based Nicholson Law Firm, used pseudonyms in their filings.
Most allege that, in violation of standard practice, Steele would touch their genitals and cup their breasts during body pat searches. They also say that Steele would get uncomfortably close to their genitals during urine tests and make inappropriate comments.
Incarcerated people are allowed to leave Shea Farm for work assignments and appointments, and two women who were held at Shea Farm during the 2000s say that they were sexually assaulted by Steele while out in the community. In both instances, the women allege that Steele threatened to send them back to prison if they didn’t comply with her demands.
Multiple women said they complained to other correctional officers about Steele’s conduct to no avail.
“Plaintiff complained about Officer Steele’s behaviors several times to other Shea Farm corrections officers and wrote grievances to the DOC regarding Officer Steele’s conduct, but her complaints and grievances were ignored, destroyed, or otherwise disregarded,”one lawsuit alleges.
In 2022, one plaintiff filed a formal grievance against Steele, which triggered a department investigation, according to her complaint. Lawyers for the plaintiff have requested but not yet received the investigative report, they said.
The women accuse Steele of assault and battery and of invasion of privacy, among other claims. They accuse the department of negligence and breach of fiduciary duty.
This story has been updated to include a comment from a Department of Corrections spokesperson.
Jeremy Margolis can be contacted at jmargolis@cmonitor.com.
