Ex-student sues over alleged sexual abuse

A spokesperson for Berkshire District Attorney Timothy J. Shugrue told the Globe in April that the office was conducting a child abuse investigation after Fares and a second graduate described their interactions with Rutledge while attending the school.

There are currently no criminal charges pending against Rutledge.

In a statement to the Globe on Wednesday, Miss Hall’s declined to address Fares’ specific allegations in the lawsuit.

“Out of respect for the alumni involved and to preserve the integrity of the legal process, we do not comment publicly on the details of pending litigation,” spokesman David Smith wrote in an email. “The safety and well-being of our students – past and present – ​​remains our top priority. We are fully committed to uncovering the truth about what happened so that we can provide support to all members of our community who have been harmed and continue our efforts to protect the well-being of our students today and into the future. ”

Fares is suing the school, as well as Jeannie Norris, who served as principal between 2007 and 2010, and three other Miss Hall employees for negligence and sexual harassment, according to the lawsuit filed by attorneys Kristin M. Knuuttila and Roderick MacLeish.

The Berkshire Eagle first reported the allegations of abuse at Miss Hall’s school in April.

One of the key allegations in the lawsuit is that top executives were repeatedly notified by Rutledge of inappropriate behavior but failed to act.

“In February 2008, the parents of a former student of Miss Hall wrote to Norris warning her of Rutledge’s ‘clearly inappropriate’ behavior towards their daughter. They urged Norris to ‘take the necessary steps to protect other young women… from this experience,'” the lawsuit alleges.

Norris met with the parents, took notes about their concerns, asked if they would file a lawsuit and assured them she would handle their concerns, the lawsuit said.

That same year, when Fares was considering not returning to the school, Norris met with Fares’ mother and asked who her daughter trusted on campus.

“Her mother replied, ‘Mr. Rutledge,” the lawsuit alleges. “A red flag should have gone up immediately for Norris. Instead, despite knowing that Rutledge’s misconduct toward a former student was so “plainly inappropriate” that Norris feared a lawsuit against the school, Norris decided that Rutledge was a suitable person to convince Melissa to join Miss Hall to stay.

Since Fares and a second student, Hilary F. Simon, have been made public last spring Following their allegations of sexual exploitation and assault on campus, more details have emerged about Rutledge’s interactions with students, according to the lawsuit.

In the fall of 1994-1995, a student reportedly told the then-principal that “she felt threatened by Rutledge.” This student, identified in the lawsuit as Student A, was also allegedly abused by him, the lawsuit states.

In 1997, a student was expelled, reportedly for “raising suspicions about Rutledge and another student.”

Rutledge wrote “overly familiar and inappropriate public messages to students” that were published in school yearbooks, according to the complaint. In 2003, he wrote for Student B about “running together in the darkening twilight,” separated from the rest of the team, and the student “confessing her fears to him.” In the 2005 yearbook, under the cross country team photo, Rutledge calls Student B his “co-pilot” and writes about “missing her heart.”

In 2004, a student of Miss Hall walked into Rutledge’s classroom and allegedly witnessed “Rutledge with Student B’s legs draped over his and massaging her breasts.” The surprised student is said to have reported what she saw to a top administrator at the time.

In 2005, a graduate allegedly told the then-dean of students that Rutledge “kissed Student B and told her he loved her.”

Also in 2005, a school nurse reported Rutledge’s “Norris ‘red flag’ behavior when she observed him talking privately to Student C with his hand on her bare shoulder,” the lawsuit alleges. Student C is the student whose parents told Norris he was exhibiting “distinctly inappropriate” behavior with their daughter, the lawsuit alleges.

According to the lawsuit, Fares received “special attention” from Rutledge during her sophomore year, asking her about her sexual interests and calling her nicknames, including “Little One,” “Little Girl,” “Little Melissa,” “Piglet.” “Protector” and “Protectee,” the lawsuit claims.

At Rutledge’s request, Norris allowed Rutledge to become Fares’ advisor instead of the staffer originally assigned to her, increasing his access to her both academically and personally, the lawsuit alleges.

The sexual assault progressed into sexual assault and rape during Fares’ junior and senior years at the school, the lawsuit alleges. The attacks sometimes took place at the Fares family home in Connecticut, where Rutledge was considered a welcome guest, according to the indictment.

“There was a significant power differential at all times because Rutledge was Melissa’s teacher and advisor,” the lawsuit said. “She was a teenager and was vulnerable to an adult man who, like her teacher and advisor, could, among other things, determine her grades, give her the freedom to go off campus or give her other privileges, and make recommendations for summer internships and universities could write. .”

The school’s board of directors hired the Aleta law firm earlier this year to investigate conditions on campus during the years cited by Fares and other former students.

Rutledge did not immediately return a call requesting his response to the lawsuit.

Last week, Miss Hall fired a male math teacher, citing his “unacceptable use of the school’s technological resources,” the Berkshire Eagle reported.

John R. Ellement can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @JREbosglobe.