Ex-students face ‘Mr Wonderful’ teacher accused of serious offenses

Former Teacher Charged with Rape of Students

A former private school instructor, referred to as “Mr. Wonderful,” has been charged with three counts of rape involving two of his former students.

Matthew Rutledge, who is 64 years old, appeared in Berkshire Superior Court in Pittsfield, Massachusetts on Wednesday. This comes after accusations made by Melissa Fares, 33, and Hilary Simon, 39, who state that Rutledge sexually abused them while they were students at Miss Hall’s School. The alleged incidents reportedly took place between 2000 and 2010, though Rutledge has denied the charges.

The Berkshire District Attorney’s Office released a statement regarding the situation, claiming that Rutledge groomed the students prior to the abuse.

“For a long time, I lived through trauma without fully understanding it,” Fares shared in a statement. “It was only in the last few years that I began to piece together the truth of what happened to me: that Matt Rutledge used me, abused me, and raped me. I was groomed and blackmailed into silence by a serial predator. My youth was not my own.”

Simon mentioned that Rutledge began grooming her when she was just 15 years old, and that the abuse persisted for years even after she left the school.

“I’ve battled this issue for 20 years,” Simon stated. “I was just a regular person—a lawyer, a wife, a mother, trying to build a life on top of what I’d buried. Then I got a call from Melissa Fares. I didn’t know her, but I told her I’d been waiting for that call for two decades.”

According to a report for Miss Hall’s School, Rutledge was known to shout, “Make way for Mr. Wonderful” while walking through hallways.

Fares and Simon decided to pursue legal action after discovering other similar allegations against Rutledge in 2024. At first, their complaint faced resistance from the district attorney’s office, which pointed to Massachusetts’ age of consent laws that previously allowed sexual relations between adults and those over 16.

To address this, the two women advocated for legislative changes to close what they described as a “legal loophole,” aiming to prohibit teachers from having relationships with students.

Currently, Rutledge is facing charges under an updated rape statute, although the specific reasons behind his indictment from prosecutors have not been revealed.

Last month, Rutledge was formally indicted. Following his arraignment, Fares emphasized that Miss Hall’s School was aware of Rutledge’s alleged misconduct.

“The entire school knew,” she declared. “They allowed a culture of abuse for decades. They betrayed us, our families, and all the girls we trusted to keep us safe. Accountability is necessary.”

In a statement, Miss Hall’s School acknowledged the severity of the situation and asserted that they are cooperating with authorities. They expressed regret for the harm caused and the overall impact on the community.

“Wednesday’s arraignment was an important and painful moment for our community,” the school remarked. “We will continue to cooperate fully with authorities and deeply regret the harm experienced by the survivors.”