Head of School Using Electric Shocks Forced to Resign

[n2doc]

By Jen Phillips| Fri May. 27, 2011 10:16 AM PDT

Photo: JRC
A few years ago, Mother Jones published reporter Jennifer Gonnertman's year-long investigation of the Judge Rotenberg Center (JRC), a Massachusetts private school for special needs kids that uses painful electric shocks for discipline. But despite the story's impact, and despite several state and federal investigations, the school remains open. Currently the school receives state funds to educate and care for children with a wide range of conditions. Some are severely autistic or schizophrenic, while others are simply troubled teens whose rebellious behavior was too much for the public school system to handle. But regardless of their mental or physical capacities, the school has a one-size-fits-all treatment for about half of its students: electric shocks.

JRC has weathered attacks for 40 years, but there are signs that the wind may be changing: earlier this month, school founder and executive director Matthew Israel announced he is stepping down as of June 1. In a statement, Israel said that, "I am now almost 78 years old, and it is time for me to move over and let others take the reins." Israel will reportedly be moving to California to join his wife, Judy Weber, who runs a special needs school called Tobinworld. In his official statement, Israel made no mentions of the recent charges plaguing the school, but it's been discovered that his resignation is indeed part of a plea bargain to spare himself jail time.

As the Boston Herald reports, Israel agreed to resign and to undergo "five years of pre-trial probation to settle charges accusing him of interfering with an investigation..." The investigation in question is a 2007 incident in which someone pretending to be a JRC supervisor prank-called the school and ordered administrators to shock two special needs teens. The administrators gave one teen 29 shocks, and the other 77. And though the school will tell you the shocks feel like a bee sting, Gonnerman says it feels more like a swarm of wasps attacking.

There is 24/7 video surveillance of all students and staff, so these actions should have been easily preserved as evidence. However, Massachusetts attorney general Martha Coakley indicted Israel on charges that he ordered staff to destroy video footage of the incident. "Dr. Israel then attempted to destroy evidence of the events and mislead investigators, and that conduct led to his indictments today," she told the Guardian. "Today's action removes Dr. Israel from the school and should ensure better protection for students in the future."


http://motherjones.com/blue-marble/2011/05/judge-rotenberg-forced-resign-school-shocks

[iemitsu]

1. does his wife shock special education students for a living too?

this is the sort of school issue that needs to be targeted and corrected rather than vilifying hard working teachers who never electrify their students.

[Angry Dragon]

2. Throw his ass in jail

If anyone on the street did this they would be in jail
I guess if you have money the laws don't count

[abelenkpe]

3. Where in CA?

Wanna make sure no one I know ever sends their kids there. How horrible!

[n2doc]

4. tobinworld

http://www.tobinworld.org/

[abelenkpe]

5. Thank you!

Close by too. I'll see if I can find out more.

[DirkGently]

6. What the hell?

[Mathias Kohler]

7. Good nt

[teachingfordemocracy]

8. This is Not Right!

Students with special needs may need to be interacted with
differently, but that does not mean with less respect as a
human being!