Pittsfield, MA- On Monday, March 24th Matthew Rutledge was indicted in Berkshire grand jury on three counts of rape following Berkshire Superior Court grand jury testimony provided by Melissa Fares and Hilary Simon.
In the spring of 2024, the Pittsfield Police Department opened an investigation into Matthew Rutledge. Rutledge was alleged to have sexually assaulted students while serving as a teacher at Miss Hall’s School. In October 2024, the Berkshire District Attorney’s Office announced that there were no charges able to be brought forward at that time; however, the office kept the investigation open.
In late fall of 2024, Berkshire District Attorney Shugrue contacted the Pittsfield Police Department to request their permission to take over the investigation. Pittsfield Police granted said request. District Attorney Shugrue then tasked a team of special prosecutors and the Berkshire State Police Detective Unit, including resources from the Unresolved Cases Unit, to continue investigating the allegations against Matthew Rutledge.
In 2025, a summary of a report authored by Aleta Law Firm was released to the public. The report, which was commissioned by the Miss Hall’s School Board of Trustees, consisted of numerous interviews examining the school’s culture. The report detailed a pervasive and chronic pattern of inappropriate staff conduct.
Using information gathered by both the Berkshire District Attorney’s Office and the Aleta report, the team of special prosecutors found Matthew Rutledge to have violated Massachusetts General Law.
Berkshire District Attorney Shugrue stated, “It took a long time to get to Tuesday’s [March 24, 2026] indictment. I commend the prosecutors and detectives who worked tirelessly to bring this case forward. Most of all, I would like to recognize and commend Melissa Fares and Hilary Simon for their bravery and continued cooperation throughout this long, arduous process. They have waited far too long for justice and, while I recognize our office took time to develop a path forward, I hope it is evident that I remained committed to holding the Defendant accountable for his crimes.”
District Attorney Shugrue has remained in regular communication with State Representative Leigh Davis (3rd Berkshire District) in support of her legislation, H.4538, “An Act Relative to Preventing Educator Sexual Misconduct of Children and Youth.”
Representative Davis stated, “This work has always been about partnership—working closely with survivors, the District Attorney, and my colleagues to bridge what we are seeing in our communities with the laws we shape in Boston. I’m deeply grateful to the survivors for their courage and to the District Attorney for his partnership in pursuing accountability. Together, we are working to advance H.4538 so survivors can have the closure they deserve and students have the protections they need.”
The investigation into Matthew Rutledge’s alleged criminal conduct, as well as any suspected criminal conduct of other staff members at Miss Hall’s School, remains active. The Berkshire District Attorney’s Office encourages anyone with information or allegations to contact the Berkshire State Police Detective Unit’s tipline by calling (413) 449-5055 (which will go live on Wednesday 3/25 afternoon) or emailing BerkshireSPDUtips@mass.gov. All information provided to the Pittsfield Police Department has been transferred to the Berkshire District Attorney’s Office.
Next Steps: Matthew Rutledge will be sent a summons and both the Berkshire District Attorney’s Office and the Defendant will be notified by the Berkshire Superior Court of an arraignment date.
The Berkshire District Attorney’s Office does not traditionally provide personally identifiable information about survivors of sexual assaults in office issued press releases; however, both Melissa Fares and Hilary Simon granted the office permission to identify them by name in this press release.