Independent investigation finds decades of misconduct at Miss Hall’s School, sparking reform efforts

An independent investigation released this week found decades of misconduct by multiple Miss Hall’s School employees and years of institutional failures that allowed alleged predators to remain in the classroom. The 60-page Aleta Law report centers on former history teacher Matthew Rutledge, who taught at the elite Pittsfield, Massachusetts campus for more than 30 years, and documents a long pattern of grooming, sexualized behavior and sexual assault beginning in the 1990s. Five former students provided firsthand accounts.

The investigation identified eight substantiated cases of sexual misconduct by former Miss Hall’s employees dating from the 1940s through the 2010s, including teachers who exploited students emotionally, crossed physical boundaries or committed sexual assault. Two former Miss Hall’s students, Hilary Simon and Melissa Fares, have sued the school, alleging negligence and emotional and physical harm. They testified before the Massachusetts Joint Committee on the Judiciary in June, urging lawmakers to strengthen protections for students. Rutledge has never been criminally charged; Berkshire District Attorney Timothy Shugrue’s office concluded in October 2024 that, under Massachusetts law, no criminal conduct occurred because the age of consent is 16.

The report portrays a school culture in which administrators, including senior leaders and at least one former head of school, received multiple reports or warnings about Rutledge over the years but failed to intervene. It concludes the leadership “failed to adequately investigate and respond.” A Vanity Fair investigation published previously also reported that officials were alerted to Rutledge’s behavior as early as 2005, and that administrators at one point instructed him to cease contact with a former student but allowed him to remain in the classroom.

The head of school, Julia Heaton, wrote to the Miss Hall’s community that the investigation revealed “horrible truths about a community we hold dear.” The school says it has begun implementing extensive reforms, including a new employee code of conduct, strengthened reporting protocols, shared faculty office spaces, 24/7 multilingual counseling access for students, survivor-centered listening sessions, and the creation of a Survivor Therapy Fund. Miss Hall’s says it is committed to ensuring every student is seen, safe, cared for, and able to thrive. Rutledge has not publicly commented on the allegations, and Fox News Digital has reached out to his attorney and to Miss Hall’s School for comment.

The Berkshires region, a rural portion of western Massachusetts, provides the backdrop for the school’s campus. Miss Hall’s, an independent, college-preparatory boarding and day school for girls in grades 9–12, has tuition and board that can approach $79,000 a year, underlining the stakes in the institution’s efforts to reform safeguarding and accountability.

Commentary from survivors’ advocates underscores broader concerns about how allegations are handled in private schools. Massachusetts-based attorney and survivor advocate Wendy Murphy noted that laws often treat students as capable of consent, even when a perpetrator holds authority over them, and she criticized historical responses that prioritized preserving institutional reputation over student safety. “What began as compliments and extra attention turned into forcible touching and sexual intercourse with this man who is 25 years older than me,” one former student testified. Murphy added that schools have sometimes punished victims who speak up and that systems too often reward silence. “It’s very common for schools to get rid of the noisemaker—the victim who won’t shut up,” she said. “If you complain, you’ll be punished.”

In its closing, the report emphasizes ongoing reforms and a commitment to survivor-centered approaches, while acknowledging that Rutledge’s case, by itself, does not explain decades of institutional drift. It also highlights how vestiges of a past culture can persist if leadership fails to implement robust safeguards and transparent reporting.