Trial Over Massachusetts School’s Shock Treatments Settled

A lawsuit brought by a New York family against a Massachusetts school for disabled children that administers shock treatment therapy to some students has ended with a settlement.

The suit against the Judge Rotenberg Center in Canton was brought by Cheryl McCollins, who alleged malpractice.

The settlement was announced Tuesday on the Norfolk Superior Court jury’s first day of deliberations. Terms were not disclosed.

The trial featured dramatic video of the aversive therapy administered in 2002 to McCollins’ son, Andre, in which the autistic boy screams and begs for relief while he is shocked 31 times over several hours.

McCollins’ attorney called the settlement a victory.

A lawyer for the school tells WFXT-TV there is no admission of guilt in the settlement and that shock treatment can be beneficial to some patients.