Three men were charged with assault and battery on a

Five people have been arrested in connection with allegations of physical and emotional abuse on students by staff at a private all-boys special needs school in Massachusetts.

The four men and one woman are all employees at Eagleton School in Great Barrington, a private year-round boarding school for boys with special needs, including autism and Asperger's syndrome

The five were arrested after about 50 local, state and federal officers executed a search warrant at the school on Saturday night.

In a statement, District Attorney David Capeless called the case a 'terrible situation'.

The school became under investigation in January following allegations of abuse, WAMC reported.

Major abuse investigation: Five employees - four men and one woman - were arrested at Eagleton School in Great Barrington on Saturday and charged with numerous offenses, mostly assault

Authorities arrested Brian Puntin, 47, of Lenox, Peter Meadow, 51, of Lenox, James Swift, 54, of Pittsfield, Juan Pablo Lopez-Lucas, of Pittsfield, and Debra Davis, 41, of Great Barrington,

Puntin, Meadow, and Swift are all being charges with single counts of assault and battery on a disabled person.

Lopez-Lucas is being charged with single counts of assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon, and assault and battery on a disabled person.

Davis is being charged with single counts of intimidation of a witness or other person and obstruction of justice.

All were released pending their arraignment in Great Barrington District Court on Monday.

'The investigators who carried out the execution of the search warrant Saturday night at the Eagleton School should be commended for their professionalism and sensitivity to the students' privacy,' Berkshire District Attorney David Capeless said in a statement to WAMC.

'The operation was conducted with minimum presence, and reports back to me indicated that normal operations at the school were not disrupted and the students were unaware of the law enforcement presence.'

Town officials said further details cannot be released at this time but that there is no danger to the general community.

The investigation is ongoing.

According to the Eagleton school website, it also cares for boys with Pervasive Development Disorder, Communication and Cognitive Delays, Behavior Disorders, Emotional Disorders, and Learning Disabilities.

'Through a team approach, we share a commitment to helping each student discover his self-worth through trust and acceptance of himself and his peers while taking advantage of all the opportunities that surround him,' the website read.