PITTSFIELD (MA)
WCVB - ABC 5 [Boston MA]
July 22, 2026
By Arielle Mitropoulos, Karen Anderson
The former headmaster of Miss Hall’s School in Pittsfield has been indicted for her role in the teacher abuse scandal that has already seen a former teacher indicted for rape.
Jeannie Norris, 80, now living in Durham, North Carolina, is being charged with one count of reckless endangerment of a child, according to Berkshire County District Attorney Timothy J. Shugrue.
The investigation is continuing, and Shugrue said he expects more charges against Norris, who was the headmaster at the all-girls school from 1996 to 2012.
After former teacher Matthew Rutledge was indicted in March on three counts of rape, other students have come forward, according to Shugrue.
The investigation has found that as Norris was alerted to red flags about Rutledge’s behavior, she appeared focused on the harm the allegations could cause the school’s reputation instead of the victims, Shugrue said.
In the case of one girl, Shugrue said she seemed to encourage Rutledge and one of the students to grow closer when Norris learned the girl was considering leaving the school, and Norris was concerned about losing the tuition, Shugrue said.
Hilary Simon, one of Rutledge’s former students whom he is charged with raping, told NewsCenter 5, “For decades, Jeannie Norris had the power to stop Matthew Rutledge, and she chose to protect him over the children in her care. Today’s indictment says out loud what survivors have known all along: Enabling abuse is not a lapse in judgment; it is a crime.”
Simon and former fellow student Melissa Fares have been outspoken advocates for justice and have agreed to be identified by name. Rutledge is charged with raping both of them when they were students.
“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.”
“Every school, every board, every leader who has ever looked the other way should take note, because the people who enable abuse can now be held to answer for it just like the abuser,” Simon said.
Norris’ lawyer, Joseph C. Merschman, responded to the allegations in the following statement:
“Ms. Norris vehemently denies the allegations against her,” Merschman said. She did not know that Matthew Rutledge had abused students at Miss Hall’s School and was shocked and heartbroken when she learned of the allegations in the Spring of 2024. Ms. Norris will defend herself against this unfounded charge.”
A spokesperson for Miss Hall’s said the school was just made aware of the indictment and had no additional information to share.