Former head of Miss Hall’s School Jeannie Norris indicted with neglect over teacher’s alleged sexual abuse of students

The former head of school at a Massachusetts boarding and day school has been indicted in connection with sexual abuse allegations against a teacher.

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Jeannie Norris, who ran Miss Hall’s School for 16 years, was charged Wednesday with reckless endangerment of a child, the Berkshire District Attorney’s Office said in a press release.A grand jury indicted former teacher Matthew Rutledge on rape charges earlier this year after he was accused of targeting two students in the 2000s.

“Jeannie Norris was allegedly aware of inappropriate relationships between a teacher, Matthew Rutledge, and students attending the school,” the district attorney’s office added.

Joseph C. Merschman, Norris’ lawyer, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the indictment. Nora Adukonis, a lawyer for Rutledge, also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Hilary Simon, one of Rutledge’s accusers, told NBC News on Wednesday that Norris had the power to stop Rutledge but “chose to protect him over the children in her care.” Her indictment should serve as a signal to school leaders everywhere that those who enable abuse can be held accountable, Simon added.

“For years survivors were dismissed, silenced and even disciplined for telling the truth,” Simon said. “Now our voices are the ones being heard and believed. No amount of power or influence or money stops accountability.”

Fellow accuser Melissa Fares echoed Simon, saying this was a day she never thought would come.

“Accountability doesn’t stop with the person who commits abuse. It extends to those who enable it, ignore it or fail to act when children are at risk,” Fares said. “This is an overdue and necessary step towards a world where protecting kids isn’t just expected but enforced.”

Fares said she is grateful that the district attorney’s office pursued charges against Norris.

The two women testified against Rutledge in front of a grand jury, alleging that their former teacher sexually abused them while they were students and after they graduated. Rutledge was charged with one count of rape in connection with Simon and two counts of rape in connection with Fares.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges in April.

Fares came forward to report her allegations to the Miss Hall’s School administration in 2024, and Simon came forward not long after. Rutledge resigned from his role following the accusations.

It appeared at first that Rutledge would not face criminal charges, as both girls were 16 at the time of the alleged abuse, which is the legal age of consent in Massachusetts. But the DA’s office assigned a team of special prosecutors and state police detectives to revisit evidence collected by the Pittsfield police and the school’s law firm.

The team concluded that Rutledge had “violated Massachusetts General Law.”

“Today’s indictment is a result of the continued, active investigation into the allegations of abuse that occurred at Miss Hall’s School,” District Attorney Timothy J. Shugrue said in the release. “Once again, I encourage anyone with information about potential abuse that occurred at Miss Hall’s School to please contact our State Police Detectives.”

A law firm hired by Miss Hall’s School to investigate the allegations against Rutledge found that he had been reported for inappropriate behavior to school leadership multiple times and that the school failed to act.

The 60-page report described Rutledge as a “larger than life” figure who, at various times, served as a teacher, coach, resident, adviser and department chair. He was also known to bellow “make way for Mr. Wonderful” as he “bounded” down the hallways, the report stated.

“Miss Hall’s received information on several separate occasions in the late 1990s and mid-2000s about Rutledge’s inappropriate relationships and interactions with students,” the report states. “The evidence supports that the School’s leadership failed to adequately investigate and respond to the reported information.”

Julia Heaton, the current head of school, issued an apology on behalf of the school, admitting that she too “did not do enough to protect the wellbeing of students.”