A former educator at a private institution, once known by the moniker “Mr. Wonderful,” is facing three charges of rape related to two former pupils.
Sixty-four-year-old Matthew Rutledge appeared in Berkshire Superior Court in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, for his arraignment on Wednesday. The charges come after accusations from Melissa Fares, 33, and Hilary Simon, 39, who claim Rutledge abused them during their time at Miss Hall’s School. The incidents are said to have taken place between 2000 and 2010. Rutledge has entered a plea of not guilty.
Statements from the Berkshire District Attorney’s Office indicate that the accusations against Rutledge involve claims of grooming and repeated abuse of students.
“For many years, I lived with trauma that I didn’t fully comprehend,” Fares expressed in a statement provided by the Berkshire District Attorney’s Office. “It has only been in recent years that I began to unravel the reality of my experiences: that Matt Rutledge exploited, abused, and raped me. That I was manipulated and coerced into silence by a serial predator. My teenage years were stolen from me.”
Matthew Rutledge was seen at Berkshire Superior Court in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, for his arraignment on Wednesday. (Image courtesy of ABC Affiliate WCVB/Handout via Reuters)
Simon recounted that she was just 15 when Rutledge began the process of “grooming” her, and that the abuse “persisted for several years” even after she left the school.
“I fought this privately for 20 years,” her statement read. “I have been fighting it publicly for two. Before any of this, I was just a normal person. A lawyer. A wife and a mother. A woman trying to build a life on top of something I had buried. And then Melissa Fares called. I did not know Melissa. I picked up the phone, and I told her I had been waiting for that call for 20 years.”
According to NBC, citing a report prepared for Miss Hall’s School, Rutledge allegedly called out “Make way for Mr. Wonderful” as he moved through the hallways.
Miss Hall’s School, an independent college preparatory boarding and day school for girls in grades 9 through 12, is located in Massachusetts. (Google Maps)
Fares and Simon said they discovered in 2024 that they had similar accounts of Rutledge’s alleged abuse and decided to pursue charges together.
Despite their allegations, the district attorney’s office at the time declined to move forward with the case, citing Massachusetts’ age of consent law at the time, which allowed for an adult to have sex with a person over the age of 16, according to the women.
The two women then pushed for legislation to close what they called a “legal loophole” and make it illegal for a teacher to have sex with a student.
Rutledge is now charged under separate rape statutes. Prosecutors have not publicly detailed what led to the decision to charge Rutledge.
Two of Rutledge’s students attempted to press charges in 2024, but the Massachusetts age of consent law prevented the district attorney from proceeding with the case, the women said. (Getty Images)
Rutledge was indicted by the District Attorney’s office last month.
Speaking at a press conference following the arraignment, Fares claimed to reporters that Miss Hall’s School was aware of Rutledge’s alleged behavior.
“Miss Hall’s School knew,” she said. “This whole school knew. They enabled a culture of abuse for decades. They failed us, our families and every girl trusted them to protect her. They must also be held accountable.”
Miss Hall’s School said in a statement shared with Fox News Digital that it is cooperating with authorities and acknowledged the impact on its community.
“Wednesday’s arraignment was an important and painful moment for our community,” the school said. “We will continue to cooperate fully with authorities. We are sorry for the harm that survivors have experienced and the impact on our community.”
A pre-trial hearing is scheduled for June 18, according to WCVB.
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