A former teacher at an all-girls boarding school in Massachusetts has been charged with raping two of her students.
Matthew Rutledge was indicted by a grand jury after two of his former students at Miss Hall’s School, Hilary Simon again Melissa Farestestified against him.
Rutledge, 64, was charged nearly two years after Simon, 39, and Fares, 33, went public with allegations of sexual abuse against them, according to NBC News.
When the victims first came forward, the DA’s office refused to file charges against Rutledge because the accusers were 16 years old at the time of the incidents. The age of consent in Massachusetts is 16, while state law does not prohibit sexual relations between teachers and students regardless of the age of those involved.
“They have waited too long for justice and, while I realize that our office took time to develop a path forward, I hope it is clear that I am committed to arresting the Defendant for his crimes,” Berkshire District Attorney. Timothy Shugrue said a statement on Tuesday, March 24, in each area.
In addition, the DA’s office said they are in the process of sending Rutledge a formal summons. Once that is completed, you will be given a trial date by Berkshire Superior Court.
“We stand with the survivors whose courage and determination played an important role in this outcome, and we are grateful that they will finally have the opportunity to seek justice in the criminal case against Matt Rutledge,” Miss Hall said in a statement.
A senior official in the DA’s office, Julia Sabourinconfirmed that Rutledge was charged with two counts of rape against Fares and one count of rape against Simon.
It is not yet clear whether Rutledge has filed or retained legal representation in connection with the charges.
Fare was allegedly abused by Rutledge from 2007 to 2010 and Simon was allegedly abused from 2001 to 2005. Both were students at the school when they were accused of abuse.
Both Fares and Simon testified before a grand jury on March 24, via NBC News.
“There were a lot of times when it felt like it was going nowhere,” Fares said, explaining that he was relieved that Rutledge had been charged. “So I held onto hope, but I also guarded against expectation … That’s part of what makes this moment feel important.”
Simon also said he was afraid Rutledge would not answer for the alleged assault.
“What I do know is that Melissa and I were clear from Day 1 that there was never consent,” she said. “We’ve never wavered from that. Not once. And I think being consistent, refusing to let anyone repeat what happened to us, is part of keeping this case alive.”
Rutledge previously worked at Miss Hall’s School as a history teacher, coach, counselor and department chair.
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However, he resigned in April 2024 after Fares reported allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation to school administrators.
Soon after, Simon came forward with his allegations against Rutledge.
The local DA, the Pittsfield Police Department and the state Department of Children and Families began an investigation into the allegations against Rutledge.
Rumors about these allegations eventually made their way onto social media, and Miss Hall’s School hired a law firm to investigate the allegations.
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The report found that Rutledge had been reported for inappropriate behavior by school leadership several times over the years and determined that the school failed to make the report, according to NBC News. The report also found that Rutledge abused five girls over a 20-year period.
The DA’s office has not released additional details about the evidence in the case, though it said the investigation into Rutledge and “any alleged misconduct by staff at Miss Hall’s school” is ongoing.
Miss Hall’s school is a prestigious institution with notable alumni including a dancer Jean Erdmanfounder of Simon’s Rock Elizabeth Blodgett HallKing Xenia Czernichev-Besobrasovan activist Elizabeth Gilman and an actress Jane Lowry.
