A woman who established a prestigious Denver school for butlers and chefs was formally charged today for allegedly injuring a student while roughly clutching her neck.
Mary Louise Starkey, 58, founder of the Starkey International Institute for Household Management, was charged with second-degree assault in the February incident at the Starkey Mansion, 1350 Logan St., said Lynn Kimbrough, spokeswoman for the Denver district attorney’s office.
Starkey is free on a $35,000 bond.
Starkey, who trains butlers, private chefs, household assistants and estate managers, said Thursday that she could not comment about the case, but did say: “It’s so wrong.”
The student, Lisa Kirkpatrick, told police that on Feb. 7 she was on her way to a get a formal photo taken when Starkey told her: “I already told you 20 times not to have your picture taken until you have had your hair done.”
Starkey allegedly grabbed Kirkpatrick by the neck and “dragged” her to a mirror. According to the court record, Starkey continued to shake Kirkpatrick and “growled: ‘Now do you get it?’ ”
A doctor found that Kirkpatrick suffered a cervical disc injury, the court report says.
