Walter E. Fernald Developmental Center Explained

Walter E. Fernald Developmental Center
Org/Group:Massachusetts Department of Mental Retardation
Region:Waltham
State:Massachusetts
Country:US
Coordinates:42.3911°N -71.2106°W
Funding:Government
Emergency:No
Former-Names:Walter E. Fernald State School
Opened:1848
Closed:2014
Module:
Embed:yes
Walter E. Fernald State School, Waltham, MA.
Nrhp Type:hd
Nocat:yes
Location:200 Trapelo Rd., Waltham, Massachusetts
Built:1888
Architect:William G. Preston
Clarence P. Hoyt
Architecture:Greek Revival, Queen Anne, Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals
Added:January 21, 1994
Mpsub:Massachusetts State Hospitals And State Schools MPS
Refnum:93001487

The Walter E. Fernald State School, later the Walter E. Fernald Developmental Center, was the Western hemisphere's oldest publicly funded institution serving people with developmental disabilities.[1] Under its third superintendent, Walter Fernald, it became a model for state institutions for the developmentally disabled. It later was the scene of medical experiments in the 20th century. Investigations into this research led to new regulations regarding human research in children.

The school occupies a property off Trapelo Road in Waltham, Massachusetts.

History

Early history

The Fernald Center, originally called the Experimental School for Teaching and Training Idiotic Children,[2] [3] was founded in Boston by reformer Samuel Gridley Howe in 1848 with a $2,500 appropriation from the Massachusetts State Legislature. The school gradually moved to a new permanent location in Waltham between 1888 and 1891. It eventually encompassed 72 buildings across 196acres. At its peak, the school confined some 2,500 people, most of them "feeble-minded" boys.

Under its third superintendent, Walter E. Fernald (1859–1924), the school was viewed as a model educational facility in the field of mental retardation and doctors and politicians from across the country and the world would travel to Waltham to study the methods employed at the center. Fernald was instrumental in the establishment of the first independent farm colony for the disabled (The Templeton Colony) and early concepts of special education. However, though he never supported forced sterilization, Fernald was an important figure in the eugenics movement, advocating for the segregation of mentally disabled children from society and coining the term “Defective Delinquent” to describe criminally-inclined mentally disabled children.[4] It wasn’t until the end of his life that he had a reversal of many of these ideas, fighting against the segregation of most mentally disabled children, rejecting IQ tests, and supporting community education and out-patient clinics.[5] [6] However, by this time, many of his ideas about forced segregation and mass institutionalization had already entered the American mainstream. The school was renamed in his honor in 1925, following his death the previous year.[7]

The institution did serve a large population of children with cognitive disabilities (referred to as "mentally retarded children"), but The Boston Globe estimates that upwards of half of the inmates tested with IQs in the normal range. In the 20th century, living conditions were spartan or worse; approximately 36 children slept in each dormitory room. There were also reports of physical and sexual abuse.[8]

Nuclear medicine research in children

The Fernald School was the site of the 1946–53 joint experiments by Harvard University and MIT that exposed young male children to tracer doses of radioactive isotopes.[9] Documents obtained in 1994 by the United States Department of Energy[10] revealed the following details:

The Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Experiments, reporting to the United States Department of Energy in 1994, reported on these experiments:[13]

It has been claimed that the highest dose of radiation that any subject was exposed to was 330 millirem, the equivalent of less than one year's background radiation in Denver.[14] A 1995 class-action suit resulted in a 1998 District court decision awarding the victims a $1.85 million settlement from MIT and Quaker.[14]

The school also participated in studies of thyroid function in patients with Down Syndrome and their parents.[15] This study showed that their iodine metabolism was similar to normal controls.

Reform lawsuit

This situation changed in the 1970s, when a class action suit, Ricci v. Okin, was filed to upgrade conditions at Fernald and several other state institutions for persons with intellectual disability in Massachusetts. U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Louis Tauro, who assumed oversight of the case in 1972, formally disengaged from the case in 1993, declaring that improvements in the care and conditions at the facilities had made them "second to none anywhere in the world". A result for Fernald residents of the class action suit which took effect in 1993 was the provision of "a guaranteed level of care, regardless of cost, to compensate for decades of neglect and abuse".

Twenty-first century

The buildings and grounds survived into the 2000s as a center for mentally disabled adults, operated by the Massachusetts Department of Mental Retardation. In 2001, 320 adults resided at Fernald, with ages ranging from 27 to 96 years and an average age of 47 years. According to a December 13, 2004 article in the Boston Globe, Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney announced in 2003 that the facility would be closed and the land sold by 2007. In 2003, a coalition of family advocates and state employee unions began a campaign to save Fernald and asked Judge Tauro to resume his oversight of the "Ricci v. Okin" class action lawsuit that had led to improvements at Fernald and the other state facilities beginning in the 1970s.

In an August 14, 2007 ruling, Judge Tauro ordered the Department of Mental Retardation to consider the individual wishes of all 185 institution residents before closing the facility. However, in September 2007, the new administration of Governor Deval Patrick appealed Tauro's ruling to the First Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Boston. In a statement, the Patrick administration contended that Fernald had become too expensive to continue to operate and that equal or better care could be provided in private, community-based settings for the remaining Fernald residents. The administration's cost claims have been disputed by the Fernald League for the Retarded, Inc., the Massachusetts Coalition of Families and Advocates for the Retarded, Inc. (COFAR) and other family-based organizations, which have continued to advocate for the preservation of Fernald as a site for ICF/MR-level care for its current residents. Those advocacy organizations proposed a "postage-stamp" plan under which Fernald would be scaled back in size and the remaining portion of the campus sold for development. The Patrick administration, however, declined to negotiate with those Fernald advocates, and pressed ahead with its appeal and closure plans.

A significant portion of the Waltham campus, encompassing its facilities established through Fernald's tenure, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.[16] Fernald was the subject of a 2005 documentary film "Front Wards, Back Wards" directed by W.C. Rogers, which has been shown on some PBS television stations.[17] [18]

, Fernald remained open with 13 residents living on grounds, the oldest of whom was 84 years old and a resident since the age of 19.[19] It was reported to cost approximately per client per year, or about four times the United States national average for a state-supported institution.

The Fernald Center's last resident was discharged on Thursday, November 13, 2014,[20] [21] after a protracted legal and political battle which cost the Commonwealth of Massachusetts over $40 million in additional costs over the projected closure date of 2010. Remaining residents were integrated into community services or other state-operated programs.[22] In 2014 the land was purchased by the city of Waltham in two parcels, 139 acres for $2.7 million paid out of Community Preservation Act funds, and 40 acres for $800,000 of city funds. The CPA section may only be used for open space, recreation, or historic preservation. The 40 acre portion has no restrictions for future use.[23] There was a period of discussion about building a new high school for Waltham on a section of the site,[24] [25] but eventually the proposal was discarded due to difficult topography, potential soil contamination, and a denial of approval from the Massachusetts Historical Commission related to the demolition of certain buildings on the site.[26]

Current status

In May 2017 and 2018, the Waltham Lions Club held a fundraising carnival on the grounds with rides, games, prizes, a petting zoo and food.[27] [28]

In November/December 2020 and 2021, the site became the home of the Greater Boston Lights Show, a fundraiser for the Waltham Lions Club chapter.[29] The decision to host a holiday lights display at this location angered disability rights advocates.[30]

In December 2021, the Waltham Recreation Department held an online meeting to collect public input for potential recreational development on the Fernald property.[31] While many suggestions were made around walking paths, gardens, and other passive recreation facilities, the majority of the meeting focused on the need to honor and respect the history of Fernald and the treatment of the residents.[32]

In 2022, an "amusement park" was approved by the City Council for the Fernald, complete with an electric train, mini golf, open green space, tennis and pickleball courts, a massive athletic complex, eight parking lots, an amphitheater, and a universal playground for children with disabilities. [33] At a Waltham City Council meeting in December 2023, members approved a $9.5 million loan authorization for the project. As of early 2024 construction on the project has begun with no completion date announced. Many residents have opposed the plan for its lack of transparency and for its perceived offensiveness to the disabled community.

In January 2024, Oliver Egger, a journalist and great-great-grandson of Walter Fernald, wrote an investigative piece in The Boston Globe describing how, despite knowledge by the City of Waltham and the state, thousands of confidential patient records were left on the campus after its closure. [34] This was in violation of HIPAA. Soon after the article's publication, the state removed the documents from the campus and admitted wrong-doing. [35] The Civil Rights Division of the Department of Health and Human Services has formally launched an investigation. [36] In April 2024, The Globe reported that in addition the Massachusetts State Police left decades’ worth of confidential case files at the school for years, removing them in 2017. [37]

See also

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The Walter E. Fernald Association . https://web.archive.org/web/20100117182356/http://fernaldassociation.com/fernaldCenter.htm . January 17, 2010 . 2009-06-09.
  2. Web site: Fernald State School - Asylum Projects . https://web.archive.org/web/20240708231547/http://www.asylumprojects.org/index.php?title=Fernald_State_School . July 8, 2024 . 2017-01-31 . www.asylumprojects.org . en.
  3. Web site: 1909 . Letters and Journals of Samuel Gridley Howe . https://web.archive.org/web/20230228021527/https://www.disabilitymuseum.org/dhm/lib/detail.html?id=1683&page=36 . February 28, 2023 . 2017-01-31 . www.disabilitymuseum.org . en.
  4. Fernald, Walter E. “The Imbecile with Criminal Instincts.” American Medico-Psychological Association, May 1908.
  5. AFTER-CARE STUDY OF THE PATIENTS DIS- CHARGED FROM WAVERLEY FOR A PERIOD OF TWENTY-FIVE YEARS By WALTER E. FERNALD, M.D. Reprinted from UNGRaDeD, Vol. V, No. &, November, 1919.
  6. AN OUT-PATIENT CLINIC IN CONNECTION WITH A STATE INSTITUTION FOR THE FEEBLE-MINDED.* BY WALTER E. FERNALD, M. D., WAVERLEY, Mass.
  7. School., Walter E. Fernald State. “Annual Report of the Trustees of the Walter E. Fernald State School at Waltham for the Year Ending November 30, 1925.” DSpace Home, Walter E. Fernald State School, 1 Jan. 1926, http://archives.lib.state.ma.us/handle/2452/782009.
  8. News: Johnson . Glen . 12 October 2009 . Apology sought for abuse at Fernald School . 2 November 2009 . The Daily News Tribune . Gatehouse Media Inc..
  9. BRONNER F, HARRIS RS, MALETSKOS CJ, BENDA CE . Studies in calcium metabolism. the fate of intravenously injected radiocalcium in human beings . . 35 . 1 . 78–88 . January 1956 . 13278403 . 438780 . 10.1172/JCI103254 .
  10. Web site: OT-19. Radioisotope Studies at the Fernald State School, Massachusetts . https://web.archive.org/web/20240623112841/https://ehss.energy.gov/ohre/roadmap/achre/chap7_5.html . June 23, 2024 . 2017-06-24.
  11. Web site: Magazine . Smithsonian . Boissoneault . Lorraine . A Spoonful of Sugar Helps the Radioactive Oatmeal Go Down . https://web.archive.org/web/20240817081310/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/spoonful-sugar-helps-radioactive-oatmeal-go-down-180962424/ . August 17, 2024 . 2024-05-11 . Smithsonian Magazine . en.
  12. SHARPE LM, PEACOCK WC, COOKE R, HARRIS RS . The effect of phytate and other food factors on iron absorption . . 41 . 3 . 433–46 . July 1950 . 15428911. 10.1093/jn/41.3.433. free .
  13. Book: ACHRE Report . Chapter 7: The Studies at Fernald School . It is clear that the doses involved were low and that it is extremely unlikely that any of the children who were used as subjects were harmed as a consequence. . http://www.hss.energy.gov/HealthSafety/ohre/roadmap/achre/chap7_5.html . https://web.archive.org/web/20100802234648/http://www.hss.energy.gov/HealthSafety/ohre/roadmap/achre/chap7_5.html . August 2, 2010.
  14. News: Zareena . Hussain . MIT to pay $1.85 million in Fernald radiation settlement . The Tech . 11 . 65 . January 7, 1998 . 2009-06-09 . June 21, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090621145956/http://tech.mit.edu/V117/N65/bfernald.65n.html . dead .
  15. KURLAND GS, FISHMAN J, HAMOLSKY MW, FREEDBERG AS . Radioisotope study of thyroid function in 21 mongoloid subjects, including observations in 7 parents . . 17 . 4 . 552–60 . April 1957 . 13406017 . 10.1210/jcem-17-4-552.
  16. Web site: MACRIS inventory record for Walter E. Fernald School. Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 2014-04-25.
  17. News: Front Wards, Back Wards. 2009-04-28. Georgia Public Broadcasting. en. 2017-01-31.
  18. Web site: Front Wards, Back Wards ITVS. itvs.org. en. 2017-01-31.
  19. News: At Nation's Oldest Institution For the Disabled, 13 Lives in Limbo . Clare . Ansberry . . 29–30 June 2013 . paper . A1, A6 .
  20. News: Josh Kovner. Opposing Sides Clash As Debate Resumes Over Closing Southbury Training School. Molly Cole, who directs the disabilities council, pointed to an institution in Massachusetts, the Walter E. Fernald Developmental Center, that was finally shut by the Bay State last month.. Hartford Courant. December 3, 2014. January 18, 2015.
  21. News: Ralph Edwards. Closing of Fernald Developmental Center. On Thursday, November 13, 2014, Fernald Developmental School closed its doors.. TASH. November 19, 2014. January 18, 2015.
  22. Web site: Fernald Closes Doors after 126 years of Operation . myemail.constantcontact.com . 2019-05-27.
  23. Web site: Waltham closes deal on Fernald purchase. 2021-12-23. Wicked Local. en-US.
  24. Web site: 6 August 2014. Bill allows Waltham to buy Fernald site for $3.7m. The Boston Globe.
  25. Web site: Patkin. Abigail. Waltham officials grapple with challenges of Fernald as high school site. Wicked Local Waltham.
  26. Web site: State commission urges city to avoid school at Fernald. 2021-12-23. Wicked Local. en.
  27. Web site: 2017-05-16. Waltham Lions Family Carnival Roars Into Town. 2021-12-23. Waltham, MA Patch. en.
  28. Web site: Waltham Lions Club Carnival walthamma. 2021-12-23. www.city.waltham.ma.us.
  29. Web site: Greater Boston Light Show, Waltham, MA - 200 Trapelo Rd. Waltham MA. 2020-12-19. Greater Boston Light Show, Waltham, MA. en-US.
  30. Web site: 2020-11-19. In Waltham, A Holiday Light Show For Charity Stirs Up Controversy. 2020-12-19. News. en.
  31. Web site: Virtual Public Input Meeting regarding Fernald Property walthamma. 2021-12-23. www.city.waltham.ma.us.
  32. Web site: ClockerResident. 2021-12-08. Fernald Reuse. 2021-12-23. r/Waltham.
  33. https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2024/04/16/walthams-amusement-park-plan-on-fernald-school-land-draws-criticism-and-praise/
  34. https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/01/10/opinion/shameful-afterlife-fernald-school-waltham/?fbclid=IwAR0o7e0wmWQKni0_kCjAlGL79ClMCOecmBwwzR2GYqBgAAPJFyyAbrH5rOQ
  35. https://www.mass.gov/news/hipaa-breach-notification-the-former-fernald-developmental-center
  36. https://www.wgbh.org/news/local/2024-04-04/feds-launch-civil-rights-investigation-into-patient-privacy-breach-at-abandoned-fernald-school
  37. https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/04/10/metro/fernald-developmental-center-waltham-documents-records-state-police/