A former student has filed suit against The Elon School and two former teachers for “breach of contract” and “for negligent infliction of emotional distress.”
Kathryn “Khaki” Greene and her parents Deborah and Tom filed the suit against the private high school, located across from Johnston Hall and the Truitt Building, on June 15. Greene attended The Elon School her sophomore and junior year and, according to the lawsuit, has since moved to Rhode Island.
The lawsuit names the school and two former teachers, Taylor Saxe and Caitlin McKinney, as defendants.
Saxe was Greene’s geometry teacher and soccer coach. McKinney was Greene’s English teacher, academic advisor and worked at Greene’s parents’ restaurant.
The lawsuit claims Saxe was displeased that Greene’s driver’s education classes coincided with soccer practices. It was at this point “Saxe engaged in behavior that was hostile” towards Greene. This behavior included not being available for geometry tutoring, not making eye contact with Greene, answering Greene’s questions in monosyllables and making “disparaging comments” about Greene to the boys’ soccer team. Members of the boys’ soccer team allegedly told Greene about Saxe’s comments.
Greene mentioned to McKinney “that she felt Saxe did not like her.” The lawsuit claims McKinney told Greene this was not the case and Saxe did, indeed, like her.
Greene’s parents met with school officials to discuss her experience with Saxe in 2007.
The lawsuit then states an unmarked package was anonymously delivered to Greene’s parents’ restaurant. The package contained e-mail exchanges between the two teachers and had “disparaging comments about the students, faculty and staff at Elon, including derogatory comments about Khaki and her family.”
Greene and her mother went to school officials to discuss the matter, where they were told the school would treat the internal affair as a “learning tool.”
In February 2009, another anonymous package of emails were delivered to Greene’s parents’ restaurant.
The lawsuit claims the second batch of e-mails caused publicity and “Elon has been content to let Saxe and McKinney finish the school year, despite their clear incompetence.” It was the publicity from the e-mails, the lawsuit claims, which forced The Elon School to terminate Saxe and McKinney’s employment.
The lawsuit states students have access to teacher’s e-mail accounts and Greene could have seen the e-mails and “that this would cause severe emotional distress.” The lawsuit does not say if students delivered the unmarked packages.
The Elon School has a policy that states all electronic communication system are property of the school and may be reviewed periodically “to assure that the use of the e-mail communication system is consistent with the school’s interest.”
The Elon School headmaster John Silva said he could not comment on current legal matters. Frank Johns of Booth Harrington & Johns is representing Greene and said they could not speak to the media about this case. McKinney, Saxe and Greene could not be reached for comment.