Elite school teacher known as 'Mr Wonderful' accused of heinous crimes against students

A former private school teacher, who was nicknamed "Mr. Wonderful," has been charged with three counts of rape involving two of his former students.

Matthew Rutledge, 64, walked into Berkshire Superior Court in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, on 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's School. The abuse allegedly happened between 2000 and 2010. He pleaded not guilty.

The allegations include claims Rutledge groomed and repeatedly abused students, according to statements released by the Berkshire District Attorney’s Office.

"For a long time, I was living inside trauma without fully understanding it," Fares said in a statement shared by the Berkshire District Attorney's Office. "It was over the last several years that I began piecing together the truth of what happened to me: that Matt Rutl...