Ex-Miss Hall's Head Indicted on Child Endangerment

06:56PM / Wednesday, July 22, 2026Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A retired leader of Miss Hall's School was indicted Wednesday in Berkshire Superior Court for one count of reckless endangerment of a child related to an investigation into sexual abuse allegations against a teacher.

Jeannie Norris, now living in North Carolina, was head of school at the girls' boarding/day school from 1996 to 2012.

Based on evidence collected throughout the active investigation in allegations of abuse that occurred at Miss Hall's, the Berkshire County District Attorney's Office alleges she was aware of inappropriate relationships between a teacher, Matthew Rutledge, and students attending the school. Evidence demonstrates that she received numerous reports of Rutledge's alleged inappropriate conduct, according to the indictment.

Rutledge, 63, was arraigned on rape charges in April of this year. Several women came forward publicly to accuse him of grooming them as teenagers and raping them. The charges also prompted the passage of a bill, authored by state Rep. Leigh Davis, to close the consent loophole by making sexual contact between a person of authority and individual under age 18 a crime.

"Today's indictment is a result of the continued, active investigation into the allegations of abuse that occurred at Miss Hall's School," said DA Timothy Shugrue. "My team of prosecutors, including Massachusetts State Police Detectives and victim witness advocates, are actively working on this case thus far indicting both Matthew Rutledge, a former teacher at Miss Hall's School, and now Jeannie Norris.

"Once again, I encourage anyone with information about potential abuse that occurred at Miss Hall's School to please contact our State Police Detectives."

He said his office understands that survivors might be hesitant to speak with law enforcement and share extremely difficult personal experiences. For those who feel hesitant, contact the tip line at 413-449-5055, or BerkshireSPDUtips@mass.gov. Callers can speak with Trooper Dana Clement to simply learn about the process. She, along with her partner Trooper Kyle Jolin, will answer any questions for victims trying to determine if they want to officially move forward or not.

Shugrue said the office will not pressure any survivor of sexual assault to move forward with charges, noting Melissa Fares and Hilary Simon, who prompted the investigation, requested their names be shared with the public.

Tags: child abuse, miss halls school, sexual assault,

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EPA, GE Conducting Vernal Pool Study on Housatonic River

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
11:44AM / Tuesday, August 11, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A pilot study will determine the best way to remediate PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, from vernal pools in the Housatonic River.

Last month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and General Electric held an open house for the Vernal Pool Pilot Study on Reach 5A, a five-mile stretch between the river's confluence and Lenox border. Despite the rain, several people attended the event at the Berkshire Athenaeum.

EPA project manager Josh Fontaine explained that it is an evaluation of which remediation method to use for the remaining vernal pools in Reach 5A.

"We're going to be testing two different methods. One is an excavation method, which we already know has been very successful with another vernal pool cleaned up much earlier in the project," he said.

"And then the other is the application of two different carbon amendments. It would be the application of powdered activated carbon and the application of granulated activated carbon."

Ten vernal pools will be cleaned using these methods: five with excavation and five with active carbon; seven additional vernal pools will be monitored as controls. Construction will be complete around October, but the pools will be left to their natural processes and monitored with surveys and sampling for three years.

Fontaine said there is no frontrunner for methodology.

"We know the excavation method is effective, but we would like to see if the less invasive method of using the amendment will be as effective for potential use," he said.

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