In an email sent to the Miss Hall's School community on Monday, Head of School Julia Heaton said that the 2026-2027 school year would be her last after 13 years in the role.
The move comes amid a reckoning with years of alleged sexual abuse on the school's campus. After two graduates came forward publicly with experiences of grooming and assault in 2024, multiple independent investigations revealed decades of staff misconduct against students at Miss Hall's, as well as efforts to suppress students speaking out about the issue.
A former teacher currently faces multiple rape charges in Berkshire Superior Court, and last month, a former head of school was indicted on a charge of reckless endangerment of a child during her tenure at the school.
Some members of the MHS community had called on Heaton and other school leaders to resign in the wake of the allegations of pervasive misconduct.
Heaton's message Monday described her decision to leave as a difficult one, and was accompanied by a letter from the Miss Hall's Board of Trustees praising her work in guiding the institution through a "painful revelation of historical sexual misconduct."
Heaton's August 10, 2026 letter to the Miss Hall's community:
I hope you are well and enjoying the long, delicious days of August. I write to tell you that after careful reflection, I have decided the 2026-27 school year will be my final year at MHS. As I look back on my time as Head of School, I am filled with gratitude, pride, and love. It has been a privilege to lead this school and to experience the magic of Miss Hall’s each day.
When I first visited campus in the fall of 2013, I knew then what I know now: MHS is a special place. The mission to contribute boldly and creatively to the common good resonated deeply for me as an educator. I was inspired by the people — passionate students, talented professionals, wise and committed Trustees, accomplished alums. I was deeply excited for the opportunity to be able to serve, contribute, and grow as a leader. I made the decision to move my family from New York City to begin a new personal and professional chapter in the Berkshires. It felt exciting, empowering, a little terrifying, and right.
In the thirteen years since, I am proud of how the School has evolved and all that we have accomplished together. We have reimagined girl-centered education. We have amplified our programs around the core competencies of vision, voice, interpersonal efficacy, and gumption. We have affirmed and deepened our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and to holistic student wellness. We have expanded opportunities for service, leadership, and global citizenship. We have fostered a culture of collaboration, adaptability, and growth. We set ambitious goals and achieved them, guided by our Strategic Design. We have responded to internal and external challenges with courage, always keeping our mission and our students at the center of all we do. We have faced painful truths and are continuing to do the hard but necessary work of accountability, repair, and change. We have sent forth hundreds of MHS graduates who will make the world better.
I am grateful to have worked alongside so many intelligent, thoughtful, and kind people who care about Miss Hall’s as much as I do. Thank you to the Trustees who have served with integrity and generosity of spirit, and a special thanks to the Board Presidents who have been true partners and mentors to me. Thank you to all the MHS faculty and staff for your dedication to the students, and a special thanks to the Leadership Team for your clear-eyed focus on what is best for MHS, now and in the future. Thank you to the alums who hold dear our core values, and who stay connected to each other across miles and decades. Thank you to the families who have trusted MHS with your children’s education and been part of our global community.
MHS students, I am in awe of you. You bring curiosity and intellect to your learning, and empathy and respect to your relationships. You ask hard questions and advocate for others and the common good. It has been amazing to witness you embrace the full MHS experience and seize opportunities for growth and challenge. You inspire me and remind me every day why I do this work.
As we enter our 129th year, MHS is at an important crossroads. Our girl-centered mission is as relevant today as it was in 1898, but in many ways feels even more urgent. This period of transition is an opportunity to re-commit to our mission and values, to embrace a spirit of possibility about the School’s future, and to continue to send forth change agents into this world.
As I enter my thirteenth and final year at Miss Hall’s, I am also at a crossroads. The decision to leave was a difficult one, but I will do so with a full heart and gratitude for this school where I have invested so much of myself, this community that I cherish, and this place my family has called home. I know this is right, and I feel excited and empowered to begin my next chapter in 2027. Until then, I remain fully committed to my role as Head of School. I will work closely with the Board and Leadership Team to advance our strategic initiatives, plan for a smooth transition, and welcome and support the next very fortunate school leader. Most of all, I will be savoring every moment of joy and connection with all of you.
The Miss Hall's School Board of Trustees' August 10, 2026 letter to the Miss Hall's community:
We, as a Board, honor Julia’s decision that the 2026-27 school year will be her last at MHS, though we wanted her to continue as our Head of School and are sad to see her go. We are beyond grateful for Julia’s dedication, integrity, and thoughtful leadership, and we remain confident in the path forward she has forged for Miss Hall’s School.
During her thirteen-year tenure, Julia steered Miss Hall’s through two Strategic Designs, shepherded the School through a global pandemic, and completed the Be Bold campaign in support of girl-centered education. Julia inaugurated two new buildings for learning and living at MHS and was the driving force behind the creation of our Department of Engineering and Technology Innovation. She built an outstanding Leadership Team, enhancing the holistic student experience by implementing an innovative four-Dean structure that added a Dean of Equity and Inclusion and a Dean of Wellness to the reshaped roles of Dean of Teaching and Learning and Dean of Student Life. Our community’s commitments to wellbeing and inclusion are a direct result of Julia’s personal and professional commitments. She has instituted strong, anti-bias hiring processes across the School and has worked to make a Miss Hall’s education accessible to students of all backgrounds.
For the past two and a half years, Julia has worked tirelessly to guide Miss Hall’s through the painful revelation of historical sexual misconduct by staying focused on discovering the truth of our past and keeping our mission at the forefront. In addition to advocating for the Aleta Law investigation and the sharing of the full report with transparency, she activated outside professionals from Learning Courage, in alignment with our values and our desire to be survivor-focused, and she worked with them to drive an extensive update to the School’s policies and protocols. Julia has demonstrated unwavering commitment to addressing the deep hurt that survivors and our community have experienced. She has taken responsibility for implementing changes to make MHS safer and stronger.
Since Julia shared her decision with us, we have been discussing the needs of the School during the upcoming transition. A search committee chaired by Trustee and alumna Amy Church Wood ’89 is now hard at work and will communicate with you soon.
We thank Julia for her dedication and care through many years of hard work. Her unyielding commitment to the students has been clear throughout her tenure, and we are thankful for her positive influence. We look forward to celebrating Julia’s contributions over the course of this school year, and we appreciate all she has done for our community.
