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Image credit: Official seal of the state of New Jersey; public commons via Wikipedia.
The state of New Jersey has agreed to pay $19.5 million to settle a lawsuit brought by a brother and sister who endured years of sexual abuse in a state-run foster home over 50 years ago, NJ.com reported yesterday.
The plaintiffs, identified in court documents as A.H. and D.C., were placed in the Atlantic County foster home of Joseph and Elizabeth Salmon by the New Jersey Department of Children and Families in 1969. According to their attorneys, A.H. and D.C. were repeatedly sexually abused by Joseph Salmon until 1972.
Each sibling will receive $9.75 million under the terms of the settlement, which was reached on May 23 during mediation with Harry G. Carroll, a former Appellate Division judge. The Attorney General’s office confirmed the settlement.
This case follows a growing number of significant settlements and verdicts in New Jersey involving sexual abuse in foster care. In 2024, the same plaintiff’s attorneys secured a $6.75 million settlement for Juanita Taylor, another survivor who lived in the Salmons’ home, and in March of that year, they won a $25 million jury verdict for Niema Jones, who was abused in a different foster home, Law.com reported.
The case of A.H. and D.C. was legally complex due to the fact that neither plaintiff sought psychological counseling in the decades since the abuse. Despite this, Middlesex County Superior Court Judge Christopher Rafano ruled that their claims were filed within the statute of limitations. A recently signed law, NJ AB 4684, was instrumental in allowing the case to proceed. The law revised the Tort Claims Act, removing prior barriers that required victims to prove permanent physical damage or accumulate more than $3,600 in medical expenses to seek pain and suffering damages against public entities.
One of the plaintiffs’ attorneys presented expert testimony diagnosing both siblings with post-traumatic stress disorder stemming from their childhood trauma. The expert also testified that future mental health treatment would far exceed the $3,600 threshold.
“There are many reasons why these survivors don’t undergo treatment at various times in their lives,” the plaintiff’s attorney said, citing personal, familial, and professional factors that often delay care.
He added that the landmark jury verdict earlier in 2024 played a critical role in shaping the current outcome. “It just got to the point where I think both sides needed to see what a jury was going to do. Fortunately for us, the jury in that case saw what was going on and recognized the real, real value of justice in these cases.”
Were You The Victim of Sexual Abuse In A Foster Home?
As demonstrated in this case, justice and compensation can happen—even several decades after the abuse. If you or someone you love survived institutional sexual abuse, whether in foster care, religious settings, detention facilities, or schools, SurvivorsRights.com may help connect you with an experienced attorney who understands how to pursue long-delayed accountability. You are not alone, and it’s never too late to seek justice.
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