Senator Mark Announces May Staff Office Hours

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BOSTON — State Senator Paul W. Mark announced that his staff will host office hours at five locations in Berkshire County in May. 
 
Residents of any of the 57 municipalities in the Senator's Berkshire, Hampden, Franklin, and Hampshire District are encouraged to share ideas on current or potential state legislation, or to ask for assistance with issues involving any state agency.
 
Appointments are not required.
  • Adams: Tuesday May 7th and Tuesday May 21st from 9 a.m. to noon. Town Hall, 8 Park St., Adams.
  • Dalton: Monday, May 6th from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.. Senior Center, 40 Field St., Dalton.
  • Great Barrington: Monday, May 6th and Monday, May 20th from 9 a.m. to noon. Town Hall, 334 Main St., Great Barrington.
  • North Adams: Tuesday, May 7th, and Tuesday, May 21at, from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. MCLA Alumni Relations Building, 228 E. Main St., North Adams.
  • Pittsfield: Thursday, May 9th and Thursday, May 16th from 9 a.m. to noon. District Office. 773 Tyler St., Pittsfield.
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Ex-Miss Hall's Teacher Indicted on Rape Charges

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A former Miss Hall's School teacher accused of sexually assaulting students at the girls' school has been indicted by a Berkshire grand jury.
 
Matthew Rutledge, 63, was indicted on Tuesday on three counts of rape following testimony provided by Melissa Fares and Hilary Simon, former students.
 
Pittsfield Police opened an investigation into Rutledge in 2024. Rutledge was alleged to have sexually assaulted students while serving as a teacher at Miss Hall's School dating back to the 1990s. In October 2024, the Berkshire District Attorney's Office announced that there were no charges able to be brought forward at that time; however, the office kept the investigation open. 
 
In late fall 2024, Berkshire District Attorney Timothy Shugrue took over the investigation, then tasked a team of special prosecutors and the Berkshire State Police Detective Unit, including resources from the Unresolved Cases Unit, to continue investigating the allegations.
 
In 2025, a summary of a report authored by Aleta Law Firm was released to the public. The report, which was commissioned by the Miss Hall's Board of Trustees, consisted of numerous interviews examining the school's culture. The report detailed a pervasive and chronic pattern of inappropriate staff conduct.
 
Using information gathered by both the DA's Office and the Aleta report, the team of special prosecutors say they found Rutledge to have violated state law. 
 
"It took a long time to get to Tuesday's indictment. I commend the prosecutors and detectives who worked tirelessly to bring this case forward," said Shugrue in a statement. "Most of all, I would like to recognize and commend Melissa Fares and Hilary Simon for their bravery and continued cooperation throughout this long, arduous process. 
 
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