Survivors' Rights

Lieff Cabraser is actively investigating reports of decades of sexual abuse at the prestigious all-girls Miss Hall’s School im Pittsfield, Massachusetts. The investigation comes in the wake of a newly-published investigation that exposed what are purported to be decades of misconduct by multiple employees and years of institutional failures that allowed alleged predators to remain in classrooms with young female students.

As described by Fox News,

The investigation centers on former Miss Hall’s School history teacher Matthew Rutledge, who taught at the elite Pittsfield, Massachusetts, campus for more than 30 years. According to the investigative report, Rutledge engaged in a long pattern of grooming, sexualized behavior and sexual assault of students beginning in the 1990s. Five former students came forward with firsthand accounts.

However, as the revelations go on to detail, the findings “go far beyond Rutledge,” with the 60-page report outlining eight substantiated cases of sexual misconduct by former Miss Hall’s employees from the 1940s through the 2010s, including teachers who allegedly exploited students emotionally, crossed physical boundaries, engaged in sexualized conduct or committed sexual assault.

At least two former students have already filed lawsuits against the school alleging negligence and emotional and physical harm. Both women testified before the Massachusetts Joint Committee on the Judiciary in June, urging lawmakers to strengthen protections for students.

Lieff Cabraser represents survivors across the U.S. who have been victimized by sexual violence and sexual abuse. We treat every client with care, respect, and compassion as we bring our comprehensive legal skills forward on each case. We have a dedicated team of lawyers, nurse consultants, and paralegals experienced in working with and listening to survivors who work individually with every client in every case to see that justice is won.

If a school, church, sports team, hospital, or another institution failed to protect you from abuse, we may be able to help you hold that institution accountable, and possibly seek compensation and practice changes to prevent that failure from happening again to you or others. We urge you to contact a survivor’s rights lawyer at Lieff Cabraser today about your potential case and recovery.

If you were the victim of abuse unrelated to a larger institution, representation by our firm may not be the best option for your situation. We encourage you to consider representation by other attorneys, as well as support from resources like RAINN.org, WomensLaw.org, MaleSurvivor.org, 1in6.org (another resource for male survivors), iSurvive.org, and AfterSilence.org.

If you or a family member have experienced abuse while attending Miss Hall’s School, we urge you to contact a survivors’ rights lawyer at Lieff Cabraser today about your case and potential recovery. You can call us toll-free at 1 800 541-7358 or use the form on this page to send us a confidential message.