GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. -- Peace and serenity on this rural Berkshire County hillside melded with allegations of abuse. Police say disabled children were kicked and had their heads slammed, and video evidence was destroyed. Five staffers at Eagleton, a school for the disabled, are facing charges.
"The kids are in very good shape," said Great Barrington Police Chief William Walsh.
Walsh had little to offer compared to what the graphic court documents did. They accuse Juan Pablo Lopez-Lucas of striking a student's head on a picnic table in August, while Peter Meadow stands accused of kicking a student in December. Brian Puntin and James Swift are also charged with assault, while Debra Davis is alleged to have destroyed video evidence of Swift's assault.
Said Meadow's attorney Lori Levinson, "All if the acts should be on video tape which will definitely serve to vindicate at least my client. I can't speak for anybody else."
"We got a group of guys taking a look at all this," said Walsh. "There's a lot of work and stuff to be done obviously, a lot of legwork. And we got a group of guys working on it."
The five suspects are out on their own recognizance and due in court March 10 for their pre-trial hearings, while the small school on a quiet hillside in the Berkshires looks for answers.
"It's a small town and it's just close-knit," said Walsh. "It's too bad, it's unfortunate, but you know, we're gonna work through it and see what happens."