Norris served as head of school at the elite Pittsfield, Massachusetts, all-girls boarding school from 1996 to 2012 – a period during which numerous allegations of sexual misconduct against students by staff members have surfaced in recent years.
According to multiple sources, a grand jury in Berkshire Superior Court indicted Norris Wednesday.
The indictment comes as former teacher Matthew Rutledge, who worked at Miss Hall's for over 30 years, including during Norris’s tenure, faces rape charges in Berkshire Superior Court to which he has pleaded not guilty. Two former students came forward publicly in 2024 with allegations that he groomed and sexually assaulted them
Multiple independent investigations into the ongoing scandal have supported accounts by attendees of the school that Norris actively worked to silence attempts to call out inappropriate behavior by staff members and punish students who tried. News of the indictment was also confirmed to WAMC by one of Rutledge’s accusers, Miss Hall’s graduate Hilary Simon. The Berkshire Superior Court clerk’s office says it is processing the grand jury’s decision and expects to release its documentation this week. The DA’s office says more indictments could emerge as the Miss Hall’s investigation continues.
The school told WAMC, "Miss Hall’s School and its leadership remain committed to learning the truth about what happened in our past and to caring for our community. We continue to encourage anyone with information about sexual misconduct at Miss Hall’s to bring their concerns forward to investigating authorities."
Jeannie Norris could not be immediately reached for comment.
Read the grand jury indictment:
