Overview
- Matthew Rutledge appeared in Berkshire Superior Court on Wednesday, entered a not-guilty plea, and was released on personal recognizance with orders to avoid the accusers and a June 18 pretrial date.
- A Berkshire County grand jury indicted the 64-year-old in March after testimony from former students Hilary Simon and Melissa Fares.
- Prosecutors reexamined evidence with special prosecutors and state police, pointing to an Aleta Law report that said school leaders failed to stop abuse of at least five students over roughly two decades.
- The district attorney had declined charges in October 2024 because Massachusetts sets consent at 16, a gap survivors now aim to close with a bill that would criminalize sexual contact by educators with students.
- Simon and Fares have filed separate civil suits against Miss Hall’s School, and the DA says investigations into possible crimes by other staff members continue.