Founded in 1898, the Miss Hall’s School campus has been at its 492 Holmes Road location in Pittsfield since 1909.
The allegations lodged by a former student concern longtime faculty member Matthew Rutledge, and date back to 2010.
According to an article published by the Berkshire Eagle, journalist Melissa Fares accused Rutledge of misconduct in a post on a private Facebook page for Miss Hall’s alumni:
“On March 27th, I made the decision to officially report to School administration that Mr. Rutledge sexually abused and exploited me while I was his student. He used his power and control as a teacher (and as my advisor) to groom me for his own gratification.”
The post goes on to describe the trauma Fares experienced as a result of Rutledge’s alleged conduct, and claims that other students may have experienced similar abuse at his hands — and that the school ignored past warnings about his behavior.
Fares also said that she will be represented by attorneys Kristin Knuuttila and Eric MacLeish, the latter of whom is known for his work with victims of the Catholic priest sexual abuse scandal in the Boston area.
Head of school Julia Heaton confirmed the allegations in a statement to WAMC News:
“On March 27, I received a letter from an attorney representing an MHS alumna stating that History Teacher Matthew Rutledge engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct with her while she was enrolled as a student and also following her graduation more than a decade ago. The information in the letter is heartbreaking and terrible, and I commend this alumna for her bravery in sharing her experience.
Upon receiving the letter, the School took immediate actions to protect the safety of our current students. I placed Mr. Rutledge on administrative leave and informed him that he was not allowed to be on campus or have any communication with members of the campus community. Mr. Rutledge resigned soon after, and has not been physically present on campus since.”
Heaton went on to say that Miss Hall’s reached out to the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families and to the Berkshire District Attorney’s Office about the situation, and that the school would cooperate in any investigation that follows.
The statement continues:
“Miss Hall’s has comprehensive hiring policies and practices and conducts regular training for all faculty and staff regarding appropriate professional boundaries with students. We also educate our students about pathways for them to report to trusted adults if they experience any inappropriate behavior on our campus.
We will continue to pursue the resources necessary to provide our students, faculty, and staff with the tools they need to prevent sexual misconduct, and we will support those who have experienced it in the past. As always, the safety of our students is our highest priority.”
Heaton says that neither she, the school’s board of trustees, or leadership team tolerates “sexual misconduct or any threats to the safety of our students and community.”
In her original message to the campus, Heaton attributed Rutledge’s decision to resign to “personal reasons.”
Rutledge, who lives just off of the Miss Hall’s campus, was a prominent faculty member for over 30 years and chaired the school’s history department for almost 20 years.
The Berkshire District Attorney’s Office confirmed to WAMC that the school’s legal team is in contact, and that any investigation into the allegations would be carried out by its child abuse unit.
Rutledge did not respond to multiple requests for comment by WAMC.
