Who Is Matthew Rutledge, the New England educator accused of abusing many students sexually at Miss Hall’s School
Several former pupils of the boarding school for girls in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Miss Halls School accused 62-year-old experienced instructor Matthew Rutledge of grooming for sex. The accusations focus on events that occurred between 2001 and 2010. For the last thirty years, Rutledge has been a teacher at the Pittsfield boarding school.
Rutledge was placed on administrative leave beginning on March 7, according to NBC News. A few days later, Melissa Fares, a writer by profession, wrote to the school on April 3 claiming that the 62-year-old had reportedly molested and sexually exploited her during her time as a student there in 2010. According to the study, Rutledge’s primary subject at the school was history.
In a Facebook post, Fares further charged the former history instructor of misbehavior and sexual exploitation.
I decided to formally inform the school administration on March 27th that Mr. Rutledge had sexually harassed and exploited me when I was a student. He groomed me for his personal satisfaction by abusing his authority and influence as my adviser and instructor, she stated in the essay.
Following her claims, two other women have come forward to claim that Rutledge also took advantage of them. Their lawyer, Eric MacLeish, told NBC News that Rutledge was a “very good at exploiting girls.”
President of the board of trustees Nancy Ault stated in a statement that the school has spoken with the attorneys for the three former students who Rutledge is accused of having sexually harassed. Based on the court records, she verified that the events happened between 2001 and 2010, and she declared that Rutledge had been “banned” from the school and would “not return.”
“We are initiating a neutral, external investigation in response to the information we have received from the courageous women who brought their experiences to the attention of the School and broader community,” said Julia Heaton, Head of Miss Halls School.
