An independent investigation by a law firm found that officials at Miss Hall’s School in Pittsfield failed to protect students from sexual misconduct dating back to the 1940s, and that one teacher engaged in an “egregious” pattern of grooming and sexual misconduct from the 1990s to 2010.
A 60-page report by Aleta Law Firm published on Tuesday reveals the findings of an investigation that began last year, after the school received a letter in March 2024 regarding allegations of sexual abuse from the now-former faculty member Matthew Rutledge, 63, a former history teacher.
In total, the investigation was able to substantiate reports of misconduct involving eight former employees that “reportedly engaged in sexual, inappropriate and/or boundary crossing behavior toward students.”
“The Report makes clear that, over the decades, there were multiple instances in which students were harmed and that MHS failed to investigate adequately or hold perpetrators accountable for their actions,” read an open letter to the school’s community signed by Miss Hall’s School Board of Trustees.
The law firm substantiated first-hand accounts by five survivors of Rutledge’s sexual abuse of students, which school officials described as an “egregious pattern of grooming and sexual misconduct.”
The report notes that investigators received multiple third-party reports that Rutledge “may have engaged in sexual misconduct with other former students who did not come forward.”
Investigators wrote that legal representation for Rutledge — who has never been charged for any crimes in connection with the Miss Hall allegations — did not respond to attempts to reach him and he was not interviewed as part of the investigation.
Beyond the Rutledge allegations, the investigation also substantiated reports of sexual misconduct involving seven other respondents beginning in the 1940s, using a “preponderance of evidence standard.”
Investigators substantiated reports of “boundary-crossing” behavior by four respondents that did not entail sexual conduct.
“Aleta Law found the sexual misconduct that the Respondents engaged in … to be wholly inappropriate, harmful, and unacceptable behavior by school employees toward students entrusted in their care,” the report states.
The report also criticized school officials for their failure to take adequate action to address Rutledge’s behavior.
Miss Hall’s School received information on separate occasions in the late 1990s and 2000s about Rutledge’s inappropriate relationships and interactions with students.
The head of school, Jeannie Norris and the assistant head of school, Jenny Chandler, failed to properly investigate the allegations after seeking advice from the school’s former legal counsel, according to the school’s trustees.
Before 2024, the school received several third-party reports about Rutledge’s past sexual misconduct, but officials failed to adequately investigate and respond to the reports, school trustees wrote.
When the school received the letter on March 27, 2024, that prompted the investigation, officials removed Rutledge from campus.
The independent investigation delved into all allegations of student abuse during the 127-year history of Miss Hall’s School, and involved a total of 146 interviews of students, alums, parents, 55 current and former faculty and staff, four heads of school and seven current and former trustees.
None of the substantiated reports of sexual misconduct or boundary-crossing behavior involved current Miss Hall’s employees, according to trustees.
Miss Hall’s School has resolved several legal claims by survivors of Rutledge’s abuse and “will continue to work toward resolving all the remaining claims,” the board of trustees wrote on Tuesday.
Two of Rutledge’s accusers — 32-year-old Melissa Fares and 37-year-old Hillary Simon — have publicly identified themselves, alleging in multiple media interviews that their former teacher groomed them into sexual relationships during their sophomore and junior years at Miss Hall’s School in the early 2000s.
On Tuesday, the two issued a joint statement responding to the independent investigation’s findings, saying that school officials “botched” their response to credible reports of Rutledge’s misconduct and fostered a “culture of silence.”
“I rarely give myself credit, but the report makes me wonder – what if I hadn’t come forward?” Fares said. “These truths might still be buried and the school still in denial.”
“This report confirms what I lived,” Simon said. “Miss Hall’s protected my abuser instead of me. Their inaction caused harm that has lasted long after the abuse itself.”
The Berkshire County District Attorney’s Office opened an investigation into Rutledge soon after the allegations against him first came to light.
But in October 2024, Berkshire District Attorney Timothy Shugrue’s office declined to bring charges against Rutledge, indicating it believed no criminal conduct had occurred because the victims had all reached the age of consent in Massachusetts before having sexual contact with Rutledge.
In an email sent Tuesday evening, the DA’s office acknowledged the report and said it will review it.
“As previously stated, the Berkshire District Attorney’s Office does not formally close cases involving allegations of sexual assault,” the email read. “The Office continues to encourage anyone with information related to incidents of sexual misconduct at Miss Hall’s School, or involving individuals connected to this case, to come forward. Reports can be made by contacting Detective Ignacio Matos of the Pittsfield Police Department at 413-448-9700.”
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