PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A former Miss Hall's School teacher accused of sexually assaulting students at the girls' school has been indicted by a Berkshire grand jury.

 

Matthew Rutledge, 63, was indicted on Tuesday on three counts of rape following testimony provided by Melissa Fares and Hilary Simon, former students.

 

Pittsfield Police opened an investigation into Rutledge in 2024. Rutledge was alleged to have sexually assaulted students while serving as a teacher at Miss Hall's School dating back to the 1990s. In October 2024, the Berkshire District Attorney's Office announced that there were no charges able to be brought forward at that time; however, the office kept the investigation open. 

 

In late fall 2024, Berkshire District Attorney Timothy Shugrue took over the investigation, then tasked a team of special prosecutors and the Berkshire State Police Detective Unit, including resources from the Unresolved Cases Unit, to continue investigating the allegations.

 

In 2025, a summary of a report authored by Aleta Law Firm was released to the public. The report, which was commissioned by the Miss Hall's Board of Trustees, consisted of numerous interviews examining the school's culture. The report detailed a pervasive and chronic pattern of inappropriate staff conduct.

 

Using information gathered by both the DA's Office and the Aleta report, the team of special prosecutors say they found Rutledge to have violated state law. 

 

"It took a long time to get to Tuesday's indictment. I commend the prosecutors and detectives who worked tirelessly to bring this case forward," said Shugrue in a statement. "Most of all, I would like to recognize and commend Melissa Fares and Hilary Simon for their bravery and continued cooperation throughout this long, arduous process. 

 

"They have waited far too long for justice and, while I recognize our office took time to develop a path forward, I hope it is evident that I remained committed to holding the defendant accountable for his crimes."

 

Shugrue has remained in regular communication with state Rep. Leigh Davis in support of her legislation, H.4538, "An Act Relative to Preventing Educator Sexual Misconduct of Children and Youth."

 

"This work has always been about partnership — working closely with survivors, the district attorney, and my colleagues to bridge what we are seeing in our communities with the laws we shape in Boston," said Davis. "I'm deeply grateful to the survivors for their courage and to the District Attorney for his partnership in pursuing accountability. Together, we are working to advance H.4538 so survivors can have the closure they deserve and students have the protections they need.

 

The investigation into Rutledge's alleged criminal conduct, as well as any suspected criminal conduct of other staff members at Miss Hall's School, remains active. The DA's Office encourages anyone with information or allegations to contact the Berkshire State Police Detective Unit's tipline by calling 413-449-5055 (which will go live on the afternoon of Wednesday, March 25) or emailing BerkshireSPDUtips@mass.gov. All information provided to the Pittsfield Police Department has been transferred to the DA's Office.

 

 Rutledge will be sent a summons and both the DA's Office and the defendant will be notified by the Berkshire Superior Court of an arraignment date.

 

The DA's Office does not traditionally provide personally identifiable information about survivors of sexual assaults in office issued press releases; however, both Fares and Simon granted the office permission to identify them by name in this press release.