Former students confront ‘Mr Wonderful’ teacher accused of grievous crimes

A former private school teacher nicknamed “Mr. Wonderful” has been charged with three counts of rape involving two of his former students.

Matthew Rutledge, 64, appeared in Berkshire Superior Court in Pittsfield, Mass., Wednesday for his arraignment after Melissa Fares, 33, and Hilary Simon, 39, accused their teacher of abusing them when they were students at Miss Hall School. The abuse allegedly occurred between 2000 and 2010. He has pleaded not guilty.

The allegations include allegations that Rutledge manipulated and mistreated students on multiple occasions, according to statements released by the Berkshire District Attorney’s Office.

“For a long time, I experienced trauma without fully understanding it,” Fares said in a statement shared by the Berkshire County District Attorney’s Office. “It was over the last few years that I began to piece together the truth of what had happened to me: that Matt Rutledge had used me, abused me, and raped me. That I had been groomed and threatened into silence by a serial predator. That my youth was not my youth at all.”

ICE BOSTON ARRESTS GUATEMALAY NATIONAL CHARGED WITH CHILD RAPE WHO WAS RELEASED INTO COMMUNITY BY COURT

Matthew Rutledge (pictured) was arraigned Wednesday in Berkshire Superior Court in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. (ABC WCVB affiliate/handout via Reuters)

Simon said she was 15 when Rutledge began “grooming” her and that the abuse “continued for years” after she left campus.

“I have fought this privately for 20 years,” his statement read. “I’ve been fighting publicly for two years. Before all of this, I was just a normal person. A lawyer. A wife and a mother. A woman trying to build her life on something that I had buried. And then Melissa Fares called. I didn’t know Melissa. I picked up the phone and told her I’d been waiting for this call for 20 years.”

According to NBC, citing a report prepared for Miss Hall’s school, Rutledge allegedly shouted “Make way for Mr. Wonderful” as he moved through the hallways.

LOUISIANA SCHOOL TEACHER OF THE YEAR ACCUSED OF INAPPROPRIATE CONDUCT WITH FORMER STUDENT

Miss Hall’s School, an independent college preparatory boarding and day school for girls in grades 9-12, is located in Massachusetts. (Google Maps)

Fares and Simon said they discovered in 2024 that they had similar stories about Rutledge’s alleged abuse and decided to file charges together.

Despite their allegations, the district attorney’s office at the time refused to pursue the case, citing Massachusetts’ age of consent law at the time, which allowed an adult to have sex with someone over 16, according to the women.

The two women then pushed for legislation to close what they call a “legal loophole” and make it illegal for a teacher to have sex with a student.

Rutledge is now charged under separate rape laws. Prosecutors have not publicly detailed what led to the decision to charge Rutledge.

JUDGE DISMISSES CHARGES IN ALLEGED CAMPUS VIGILANT ‘CATCH A PREDATOR’ TARGETING ARMY SOLDIER

Two of Rutledge’s students tried to file charges in 2024, but Massachusetts’ age of consent law prevented the prosecutor from pursuing the case, the women said. (Getty Images)

Rutledge was indicted by the district attorney’s office last month.

Speaking at a press conference after the arraignment, Fares told reporters that Miss Hall’s school was aware of Rutledge’s alleged behavior.

“Miss Hall’s school knew it,” she said. “This whole school knew it. They fostered a culture of abuse for decades. They failed us, our families and all the girls trusted them to protect. They must be held accountable too.”

Miss Hall School said in a statement shared with Fox News Digital that it is cooperating with authorities and recognizes the impact on its community.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“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 survivors have suffered and the impact on our community.”

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 18, according to WCVB.

Sarah Rumpf-Whitten of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.