Fall Semester at BCC Begins Sept. 3

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The fall semester at Berkshire Community College (BCC) begins Tuesday, Sept. 3. 
 
Applications are being accepted now.  
 
Learning options at BCC include in-person, online and hybrid classes. Prospective students may view an admission checklist and apply, browse a course catalogue, file a financial aid form or schedule a tour by visiting www.berkshirecc.edu/fall or by walking in without an appointment to the One Stop Enrollment Center. 
 
There, applications are processed for instant acceptance to the College. Advisors are on hand to answer questions and to assist with financial aid. For more information, call (413) 499-4660 or email onestop@berkshirecc.edu
 
After completing an application and receiving acceptance into BCC, students take an Accuplacer exam or submit official high school transcripts to be evaluated for course placement. Students who previously attended another college or university should submit official transcripts to BCC, which may allow exemption from testing. 
 
The Commonwealth's new MassEducate program offers tuition- and fee- free community college to all Massachusetts residents, regardless of age, who have yet to earn a bachelor's degree. MassEducate expands upon MassReconnect, a similar program for students ages 25 and older. Both programs include an allowance for books and supplies for eligible students.

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Former Miss Hall's Teacher Arraigned on Rape Charges

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

Warning: this article discusses sexual assault. 
 
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. 
 
"Today, Matthew Rutledge was arraigned for raping me. He began grooming me when I was 15 years old, a student at Miss Hall's School, and his abuse of me continued for years after I left that campus," former student Hilary Simon said to a large crowd outside of Berkshire Superior Court.

"After more than two decades, this case is finally in the hands of the criminal justice system."
 
Simon and Melissa Fares, former students, publicly accused Rutledge of abuse and called out the school for failing to protect them. 
 
They provided testimony at his indictment and, on Wednesday, 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. 
 
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