Report Details Allegations Of Abuse, Neglect At Special Needs School

The Chamberlain International School in Middleborough is one of 56 residential special education schools in Massachusetts. Students who attend Chamberlain typically have severe autism, anxiety, eating disorders or other severe mental or emotional challenges.

The students require a lot of support, and they may not be getting that support, according to a new report from the Disability Law Center, a group that advocates on behalf of the disability community in Massachusetts.

The report alleges "abuse and neglect by staff against students," including failing to prevent a student from repeatedly drinking bleach, not implementing appropriate safety procedures after a student jumped from a second floor window and inadequately supervising students who ran away and were found "dirty and disheveled" in the woods, or in one case, floating down a river.

Shannon Dooling, WBUR reporter. She tweets @sdooling.

Stan Eichner, director of litigation with the Disability Law Center.