PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A former teacher pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to three counts of felony counts rape related to his tenure at Miss Hall's School.

 

Matthew Rutledge, 63, was indicted last month by a Berkshire grand jury following accusations dating back to the 1990s of sexually assaulting students at the girls' school. 

 

Melissa Fares and Hilary Simon, former students, publicly accused Rutledge abuse and called out the school for failing to protect them. 

 

On Wednesday, they provided testimony at his indictment and were in the courtroom to see their alleged abuser arraigned. 

 

Rutledge was working at the day and boarding school until the allegations surfaced nearly three years ago. Pittsfield Police investigated the claims but initially concluded no charges could be brought forward because the students were 16, the age of consent in Massachusetts. 

 

However, the Berkshire District Attorney's Office took up the investigation and, with information from a report commissioned by the school, a team of special prosecutors say they found Rutledge to have violated state law.

"This arraignment has been a long time coming. Thank you, Melissa and Hilary, for your patience. You have been waiting for justice not only over the past two years, but since the abuse first occurred," said Berkshire DA Timothy Shugrue at a press conference following the arraignment. "While today represents just one step in that ongoing process, I hope it has offered at least some sense of long over-due acknowledgment from the criminal justice system recognizing your experiences."