Great Barrington — The state’s continued scrutiny of the embattled Eagleton School for developmentally disabled boys and young men recently lead to another round of firings, bringing the total to 14, according to an unconfirmed report by a source who insists on anonymity.
The source told The Edge that nine more staff members were fired, in addition to the initial five, all of whom were suspended and arraigned in Southern Berkshire District Court in early February for assault and battery on a disabled person, and one for obstruction of justice.
The Edge also learned that Program Director James Yeaman was one of the nine. Yeaman could not be reached for confirmation. The source told the Edge the additional employees were fired because they were on the list of staff that the EEC (Department of Early Education and Care) prohibited from working with the students.
Calls to the school were referred to Eagleton attorneys Kathleen McCormick and Eric Roderick MacLeish, both of whom would neither confirm nor deny the additional firings.
On February 17 the school, located on a 40-acre campus on Route 23 near the Monterey border, was put on probation by the state as a result of the “recent law enforcement actions,” and “as a result of health and safety concerns and regulatory violations,” according to a notice posted on the EEC website. The Department of Early and Secondary Education (ESE) said the agency acted out of “fundamental and grave concerns about health and safety and regulatory compliance at Eagleton School compromise the program’s ability to provide a safe, healthy, and appropriate educational environment.”
The notice further said “Staff members prohibited by EEC’s Order from direct care and unsupervised contact with students shall not work in the day educational program.”
EEC spokesperson Kathleen Hart said she could not reveal any information since its investigation of the school is still open.
A local police investigation into allegations of abuse of students by staff led to the arrests after a multi-agency law enforcement operation spearheaded by the Berkshire County District Attorney’s office was conducted at the school on Saturday, January 30.
The DA’s search warrant affidavit was not returned within the required seven days after the warrant was executed, leading to speculation from courthouse staff that the affidavit was impounded by a judge so as not to compromise the ongoing investigation. The affidavit would contain more specific details about the reasons for the search. DA spokesperson Fred Lantz would not comment about the affidavit.
The school serves boys and young men ages 9 to 22 with severe autism or other developmental, cognitive, or psychiatric disabilities. While school staff are trained in NAPPI (Non-Abusive Psychologial and Physical Intervention), restraints are still used in situations where the student may cause harm to himself or others, according to the school.
On February 1 Brian Puntin, Juan Pablo Lopez-Lucas, James Swift and Peter Meadow were all arraigned on charges of separate incidents of assault and battery on a disabled student, two with a dangerous weapon. Debra Davis was accused of tampering with evidence and intimidation of a witness. None of the defendants had previous criminal records, according to the court clerk’s office.
Juan Pablo Lopez-Lucas, 34, of Pittsfield, is accused of striking a “student’s head on a picnic table in the equine area” in August 2015.
James Swift, 54, of Pittsfield, was charged with an assault on a student on January 1.
The court report says Debra Davis, 41, of Great Barrington set out, in January 2016, to “knowingly and willfully destroy video surveillance evidence of an assault and battery on a victim…carried out by James Swift.” That was the obstruction charge. The “intimidation of a witness” charge issued from accusations that Davis “transferred staff to different buildings” at the school “who had made complaints of assault by other staff in attempts to keep them from reporting the assaults.”
Peter Meadow, 51, of Lenox, is accused of kicking a student with a “shod foot” in December 2015. Meadow’s attorney, Lori Levinson, said her client told her school staff are “frequently having to defend themselves.”
The school immediately hired consultant Charles Conroy, Ed.D. to evaluate school systems and implement change where needed. It also brought in Boston attorney Roderick MacLeish, who works with a firm that has represented Eagleton for 30 years and represents more than 100 institutions and schools like it.
In 2013 the EEC developed a “corrective action plan” for the school to address lagging standards in several educational areas, and in policy areas such as bullying.
While attorney McCormick did not comment specifically on the additional firings, she emailed the Edge a statement saying the school continues to cooperate with state agencies, and forwarded a statement from Executive Director and Eagleton owner Bruce Bona:
“Dr. Charles Conroy, Ed.D. and outside counsel are on site each week, working with Eagleton staff to address the concerns that have been articulated by state agencies. Our continued focus is to how we can provide the very best services to this vulnerable group of children. We are committed to working with the State to improve services at the School.”
