Since late March, five former Miss Hall’s School students have alleged that now resigned history teacher Matthew Rutledge sexually abused them during his 30-plus year tenure. Interviews by WAMC with multiple Miss Hall’s attendees during that period revealed a campus culture where student-teacher relationships were common knowledge, as was fear for retaliation for speaking out. Those claims are the heart of multiple investigations, including one by Berkshire District Attorney Timothy Shugrue. Miss Hall’s has agreed to cooperate with authorities.
On Wednesday, WAMC reported that Shugrue’s office is also investigating former physics teacher Edwin Eckel, who taught at Miss Hall’s between 2012 and 2018 and served as a dorm affiliate and science department chair per his LinkedIn page.
The DA’s office would not confirm any more details of the investigation. He now works at St. Johnsbury Academy in Vermont, where, according to the private school’s website, he teaches science. When reached by WAMC, Miss Hall’s School said it would continue to cooperate with law enforcement investigations but would not comment on specific claims.
WAMC has reached out to Eckel and St. Johnsbury Academy for comment.
Since this story was published, the Berkshire District Attorney’s Office has issued the following statement:
“There have been reports in the media of potentially inappropriate conduct at or surrounding the Miss Hall’s School’s community. If you feel you were a victim, witness or have any information to provide about these reports, please call the Pittsfield Police Department Detective Bureau at 413-448-9706 and leave a message with your name and a call back phone number.”
