Overview
- Matthew Rutledge, 64, was arraigned in Berkshire Superior Court on Wednesday and entered a not-guilty plea to three rape counts tied to two former students.
- The judge released him on personal recognizance with orders to avoid the accusers, and set a pretrial hearing for June 18.
- A Berkshire County grand jury indicted Rutledge in March 2026 after hearing from accusers Melissa Fares and Hilary Simon.
- Prosecutors had declined charges in October 2024 because Massachusetts allows sex at age 16, then reassigned special prosecutors and state police who concluded the evidence shows violations of state law.
- An independent 2025 Aleta Law report found at least five students were abused over about 20 years and that school leaders failed to act, while the accusers now back a pending bill to outlaw sexual contact between educators and 16- and 17-year-old students.