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Nicholas Alahverdian
Died	February 29, 2020(2020-02-29) (aged 32)
Occupation	Child welfare activist

Nicholas Alahverdian (died February 29, 2020 at age 32) was a child welfare advocate.

Alahverdian alleged that he suffered abuse and negligence in the Department of Children Youth and Families (DCYF), Rhode Island's social service system. Over this allegation, he sued the DCYF in 2011 in federal court, then voluntarily dismissed the lawsuit when Rhode Island waived his ~$200,000 medical expenses debt.

In January 2020, Alahverdian said that he had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. In February 2020, news outlets reported Alahverdian's death, citing his family and his obituary. His death, however, has been disputed.

Early life

Alahverdian alleges his parents were "abusive and alcoholic" and "couldn’t take care of him" leading to his placement in the care of the DCYF.

Alahverdian has alleged that for a period of 15 months beginning in March 2002 the DCYF placed him in their "night-to-night" program, in which a youth would spend his or her day at a DCYF building in Pawtucket and nights at one of several shelters around Rhode Island, including locations in Central Falls, Providence, Narragansett, or Woonsocket. Alahverdian said he did not attend school during this period. According to Alahverdian, the other youths stole his items and threatened and assaulted him during this period. The Providence Journal described the night-to-night program as a "stifling" experience and said Alahverdian was "denied a substantial chunk of his childhood".

Alahverdian was hired as a legislative page in the Rhode Island House of Representatives at age 14. He was then reassigned to the position of legislative aide. Alahverdian said that he informed lawmakers about his negative experience in DCYF care, but received no help.

In 2002 Alahverdian quit his legislative aide job to form the NexusGovernment organization to lobby for child welfare. However, Alahverdian said that he quit the organization in March 2003. Additionally, The Providence Journal, reporting in 2011, stated that NexusGovernment was only "recently formed".

Local media reported that Alahverdian was sent by DCYF to Boys Town in Nebraska and Manatee Palms in Florida in 2003. Alahverdian said he was prohibited from contacting others during this period and that both the Nebraska and Florida placements were later closed for abuse and neglect. Alahverdian alleged that he was sent out of state because in Rhode Island, he was "a source of information on DCYF". According to a DCYF spokesperson they stopped using Manatee Palms Youth Services in 2005 due to "concerns we had with the way they were treating our kids".

Alahverdian told WPRI that he was beaten "Everyday in Florida. Everyday in Nebraska. Everyday in Rhode Island," by other youth in DCYF programs. Alahverdian told WJAR that he suffered "torture, beatings, assault" and neglect under DCYF care, until 2005. Alahverdian was sent back to Rhode Island in 2005 where he filed his lawsuit. Rhode Island authorities stated that there were no records of Alahverdian being abused.

In 2008, Alahverdian was charged with sexually assaulting a Sinclair Community College student in a stairwell and subsequently convicted of public indecency and sexual imposition. He filed a motion for a retrial, which was dismissed by the reviewing judge.

Child welfare advocacy

In 2011, Alahverdian suspended his education at Providence College and Harvard Extension School to lobby for child welfare protection. During a subsequent press conference, he alleged Rhode Island was paying for "dangerous" childcare facilities. He also advocated for Rhode Island to stop sending its foster children out of state.

In March 2011, after meeting Alahverdian, state representative Roberto DaSilva submitted a proposal to further restrict DCYF from using facilities outside of Rhode Island; the proposal was also a cost-cutting measure. DaSilva credited Alahverdian's story as inspiration for his proposed legislation. The proposed legislation failed, so DaSilva re-submitted the proposal in January 2012; the result of this was not reported.

In 2013, opinion columnists from The Providence Phoenix urged those in power in Rhode Island to listen to Alahverdian to reduce the "horrors for children in state care".

In April 2017, Alahverdian wrote an opinion piece for The Providence Journal calling for an audit of DCYF expenditures.

In February 2020, Rhode Island state representatives Ray Hull, John J. Lombardi, David Bennett, and James N. McLaughlin proposed an "Emergency Oversight Commission" to monitor DCYF, as advocated by Alahverdian. According to WPRI's reporting, if the legislation passed, nine state representatives would for ma commission to investigate "unconstitutional or unethical procedures at DCYF that put children in harm’s way", with a report to be published in May 2021. As of March 2020, Hull's proposed legislation had not been voted upon.

Lawsuit against the DCYF

In February 2011, Alahverdian initiated a federal lawsuit against the DCYF, the states of Florida and Nebraska, six residential facilities, and 18 individuals, for alleged abuse committed against him. Among the individuals sued were Rhode Island Governor Donald Carcieri and Family Court Chief Judge Jeremiah S. Jeremiah Jr.

In August 2013, the federal lawsuit was settled by the parties, in exchange for Rhode Island waiving a more than $200,000 lien that was placed on any settlement proceeds from the lawsuit. The lien was for medical expenses incurred while he was in state foster care. The lawsuit concluded with the DCYF expressly denying any "liability or culpability regarding the allegations" according to the DCYF's deputy director Kevin Aucoin. Alahverdian acknowledged that he had released the state of Rhode Island and its government employees from liability. The court itself did not reveal details of the settlement. Alahverdian also agreed to dismiss two other lawsuits he had filed, one which accused DCYF of violating a confidentiality agreement, and another against state sheriffs.

Death

In January 2020, Alahverdian reported he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. According to his family and his obituary, Alahverdian succumbed to the disease on February 29, 2020. His widow said that Alahverdian would be cremated and the remains scattered at sea. Upon Alahverdian's death, WPRI reported that he had emigrated from the United States around four years earlier, with his wife attributing this to "security concerns". Alahverdian's wife would not publicly reveal her identity or where the family had moved, alleging threats.

Controversy

Alahverdian's death became controversial when an investigative reporter from The Providence Journal reported that just two months prior to his death, the FBI began a fraud investigation after his former foster parents, Sharon and Charles Lane claimed he opened 22 credit cards under their name, racking up almost $200,000 dollars in debt. A second claim was investigated based on 2017 court records from his second divorce which stated in a final decree that he had taken "all of the marital household goods and furnishings from the marital residence, in violation of the temporary restraining orders", that he was required to pay back a $52,000 loan to his ex-wife and "that defendant has been guilty of gross neglect of duty and extreme cruelty toward plaintiff." At the time of his alleged death, there was an outstanding warrant for failure to register as a sex-offender in Rhode Island, stemming from a 2008 conviction of sex-related charges in Dayton, Ohio.

Alahverdian's former attorney Jeffrey B. Pine expressed concerns about the timing of his alleged death after learning of the FBI's investigation, stating:

“The next thing I know he gets very,very sick with cancer and dies within weeks. Do I think it’s possible he’s alive? Of course I do.”

References

1. ^ Buteau, Walt (March 3, 2020). "Child welfare activist, DCYF critic loses battle with cancer". WPRI News. Archived from the original on March 11, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
2. "Obituary: Nicholas Alahverdian". East Providence Reporter. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
3. "Nicholas Alahverdian, R.I. child welfare activist, dies at 32". MSN.com. March 4, 2020. Archived from the original on March 5, 2020. Retrieved March 4, 2020.
4. ^ "Longtime child welfare advocate fighting cancer". WJAR. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
5. "Accusations of abuse, neglect in DCYF homes". GoLocalProv. March 2, 2011. Archived from the original on December 2, 2018. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
6. ^ Heller, Mathias (February 9, 2012). "Legislation spotlights domestic abuse". The Daily Herald. Archived from the original on February 13, 2015. Retrieved May 9, 2015.
7. Buteau, Walt. "Street Stories: DCYF". WPRI on YouTube. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
8. ^ Buteau, Walt. "Suit against DCYF settled". WPRI.com. CBS News. Archived from the original on December 3, 2015. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
9. ^ Klamkin, Steve (January 9, 2020). "DCYF critic, diagnosed with cancer, speaks out on troubled agency". WPRO News. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
10. ^ "Child welfare activist dies of cancer". Associated Press. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
11. ^ "Rhode Island child welfare reform advocate dies of cancer". NBC 10 News. March 3, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
12. ^ Mooney, Tom. "He was reported dead, but the state police kept looking for Nick Alahverdian". The Providence Journal. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
13. ^ Kerr, Bob (February 27, 2011). "He knows the system inside and out". The Providence Journal. Archived from the original on September 24, 2018. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
14. ^ Arditi, Lynn (April 8, 2011). "Alahverdian sues DCYF for child abuse". The Providence Journal. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
15. ^ Kerr, Bob (April 20, 2012). "A hard lesson in what a state can do to a kid". The Providence Journal. Retrieved November 22, 2019.
16. ^ Buteau, Walt (March 19, 2011). "Victim of abuse works for DCYF overhaul". WPRI. Archived from the original on May 14, 2013. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
17. ^ Jaehnig, Dan (March 1, 2011). "Man claims he was abused in DCYF care". WJAR. Archived from the original on November 15, 2019. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
18. ^ Klepper, David (August 14, 2011). "RI pays millions to send children out of state". Associated Press. Archived from the original on April 13, 2017. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
19. Lord, Peter. "Rep. DaSilva says R.I. pays hundreds of thousands of dollars for out-of-state care for children in state custody". Politifact. Poynter Institute. Archived from the original on December 2, 2018. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
20. "DaSilva reintroduces bill to keep children under DCYF care in state". GoLocalProv. Archived from the original on April 16, 2015. Retrieved May 10, 2015.
21. Phillipe and Jorge (June 26, 2013). "The Horrors Continue". The Providence Phoenix. Archived from the original on November 13, 2013. Retrieved November 20, 2019.
22. Alahverdian, Nicholas (April 7, 2017). "DCYF workers need help to keep kids safe". The Providence Journal. Archived from the original on November 14, 2019. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
23. Cook, Scott. "Lawmakers propose 'Emergency Oversight Commission' for DCYF". ABC 6 News. Archived from the original on February 19, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
24. Tomison, Bill (February 18, 2020). "Emergency oversight commission for DCYF proposed by lawmakers". WPRI.com. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
25. ^ Klamkin, Steve. "Child abuse victim Alahverdian loses his cancer fight". WPRO News. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
26. ^ Arditi, Lynn (August 22, 2013). "Settlement ends suit by former ward alleging abuse while in care of Rhode Island's Department of Children, Youth and Families". The Providence Journal. Archived from the original on January 6, 2015. Retrieved May 10, 2015.

• 2020 deaths
• Deaths from lymphoma