In an internal email dated May 3rd, Miss Hall’s School head Julia Heaton informed the campus community that another former student has joined a chorus claiming sexual abuse by now-resigned history teacher Matthew Rutledge. The student is not identified in the communication per her own request. The allegations date back to the early days of Rutledge’s over 30-year tenure at the school, occurring between 1991 and 1995. Rutledge resigned shortly after the first former student to accuse him of misconduct, Melissa Fares, made her claims public this spring. The Berkshire District Attorney’s office has begun an investigation into the charges, while Miss Hall’s has pledged to cooperate with authorities while hiring Aleta Law to conduct its own external investigation into the situation.
Here's the full text of the email:
May 3, 2024
Dear Miss Hall’s School Community,
Last evening, the School received notice that a fifth alumna has come forward describing that she was subjected to sexual abuse by former faculty member Matthew Rutledge while she was a student at MHS in the 1991 to 1995 timeframe. We are devastated to hear of the traumatic experience she relayed to us, and we commend her bravery in speaking out.
We are informing you because we are committed to learning the truth and sharing it with the community. Honoring the request of this alumna, and in keeping with our responsibility to protect survivor/witness anonymity, the School will not provide further identifying information.
The Miss Hall’s Board of Trustees and school leadership are eager to extend support to survivors, address any past harm, and continue efforts to safeguard the wellbeing of our students today and in the future.
This is why we have initiated a comprehensive, external investigation led by Aleta Law. We want to emphasize that Aleta Law is not a legal advocate for the School. Instead, they are serving as neutral, trauma-informed investigators to discover any improper conduct and to examine what faculty and administrators may have known about it and how they responded. After Aleta Law concludes its investigation, we will share the learnings and next steps with the full community. The findings will inform supportive and corrective measures that will make our school stronger.
We know that this comprehensive investigation will take time. We also know that many members of our community are hurting now and in need of immediate and supportive action steps. To this end, we have initiated a multi-year partnership with Learning Courage, a national nonprofit that works with schools to support sexual misconduct prevention, trauma-informed response, and healing. Among their expertise, Learning Courage’s trauma-informed team will facilitate sessions during the upcoming Reunion Weekend to provide a supportive setting for processing the reports of historic sexual misconduct and abuse at MHS. They can also act as a neutral third party survivors can speak with as they determine whether to reach out to the investigators.
We will continue to prioritize the safety and well-being of current students, provide resources to staff and families, and offer opportunities for alums to come together and find support. At this difficult time, we will look to our mission and our shared values to guide us while we address this issue head-on, lean on each other, and take steps toward healing.
Sincerely,
Julia Heaton
Head of School
Nancy Gustafson Ault ’73
President, Board of Trustees
