A Texas woman who filed a small claims case against a Keating Auto Group dealership says she received unsettling late-night emails from the company’s attorney, even after being sent a formal cease and desist letter.
“I was shocked when I saw the time of night he was emailing me,” said Christie Templeton, customer of San Marcos Toyota who was left with a scratched fender twice in a row after leaving her vehicle in their care for maintenance. It felt completely inappropriate and gave me the creeps,” said the woman, who is representing herself in the case and also identifies as disabled with anxiety. “It didn’t feel like professional conduct it felt personal. And honestly, it felt retaliatory.”
The emails came from Brandon Starling, an attorney at White, Starling & Osterman LLP, who represents Keating Auto Group, the corporate headquarters that owns San Marcos Toyota. According to the woman, the message was sent after she delivered a cease and desist to Starling, asking him to stop contacting her following a series of late-night, disparaging emails that she described as harassing and possibly intended to intimidate her into dropping her case.
“The tone and timing of the emails were off-putting,” she said. “He wasn’t just addressing the case. He was pulling up my personal projects, my books, and other things unrelated to the lawsuit. It felt like stalking.”
At the time of publication, neither Brandon Starling nor Ben Keating had responded to requests for comment.
