Representatives of the Bershire County private Eagleton School for boys and young men with emotional disabilities have broken their silence over physical abuse allegations against students. Five staff members were charged this week for their roles in the alleged incidents.
Employees and parents flanked Eagleton School attorney Eric MacLeish as he addressed allegations that one staff member kicked a student, and another slammed a student’s head into a picnic table. MacLeish says the school is open and functioning normally, and pointed to a positive report from state officials a few months ago. He says Eagleton will conduct its own investigation into the alleged assaults.
“We don’t know enough to know if they happened here,” MacLeish says. “We will find out and we will tell the truth, and if we take action, we’re going to let people know about it. It’s just that simple. Why wouldn’t we?”
The father of a former student, Mike, whose name was not revealed to protect his son’s privacy, says he couldn’t believe some of the stories he was hearing about Eagleton.
“I said ‘this is not the family that I’ve known with my son, ‘ ” Mike says. “My son is right now sixteen years of age and he was here for eighteen months. This place saved his life, my life and my wife’s life.”
All five staff members are on paid leave. The county’s top prosecutor says the investigation is ongoing and more charges could be filed.