She Stayed Silent for Years. He Threatened to Kill Himself.

For years, Hilary Simon kept a secret. Not because she wanted to, but because she was told speaking up could end a man's life.

"Matthew Rutledge was a dangerous man," Simon said Wednesday outside Berkshire Superior Court. "When a child is trapped with someone that dangerous, her body does what it has to do to survive. For me, survival looked like fawning. I kept his secret because he threatened to kill himself and swore I would destroy his family if I ever spoke."

She spoke anyway. And on Wednesday, Matthew Rutledge stood before a judge.

On-air on Thursday, I asked District Attorney Timothy Shugrue directly whether Rutledge was on suicide watch. Shugrue said he was not, and that Rutledge is not considered a flight risk.

Rutledge, 64, pleaded not guilty to three felony rape counts in Berkshire Superior Court and was released on personal recognizance. He is barred from contacting the alleged victims. His next court date is June 18.

He faces one count of rape involving Simon and two counts involving fellow accuser Melissa Fares. Both women were in the courtroom. Supporters packed the gallery wearing orange hearts in solidarity with the accusers.

"Today I was in the same room as Matt Rutledge, and for the first time, I held the power," Fares said after the hearing.

The DA's office had declined to bring charges in October 2024, saying state age of consent laws prevented prosecution at the time. The case stayed open. Prosecutors later used findings from an independent investigation that found school leadership allowed Rutledge to abuse at least five students over 20 years.

"This arraignment has been a long time coming," Shugrue said. "Thank you, Melissa and Hilary, for your patience."

STATEMENT FROM DA SHUGRUE

This arraignment has been a long time coming. Thank you, Melissa and Hilary, for your patience. You have been waiting for justice not only over the past two years, but since the abuse first occurred. While today represents just one step in that ongoing process, I hope it has offered at least some sense of long over-due acknowledgment from the criminal justice system recognizing your experiences.

What changed? That is a question we continue to be asked and an understandable one at that. After work initially accomplished by the Pittsfield Police Department, information presented in the Aleta Report, and later work from my State Police Detective Unit and team of prosecutors, we were able to charge Matthew Rutledge with three counts of rape. We presented this case through a direct indictment to the Grand Jury on March 24^th and ultimately able to bring the three charges forward.

At this point in the process, as my office works to bring this case to a successful conclusion, I will be henceforth limiting my comments to maintain both the integrity of ongoing investigations and to ensure a fair judicial process. -Berkshire DA Tim Shugrue

Anyone with information is asked to call the Berkshire DA's tip line at 413-449-5055.