The mayoral campaign for Metro Councilman Jim King, D-10, is in hot water with St. X High School after sending an unauthorized e-mail using the school’s alumni association logo that went out to an unknown number of former students.

The e-mail promotion sent out late yesterday afternoon attaches King’s biography as the “Son of St. X and our next mayor,” and invites recipients to a special fundraiser. King graduated from the historic private Catholic school in 1969.

St. X officials received several complaints this morning from alumni.

“We’ve been around 145 years and have had our share of alumni run for political office. This is very unfortunate and it was not authorized or approved,” says Michael Littel, a St. X spokesman.

Littel tells LEO Weekly he doesn’t know how the King campaign obtained the e-mail addresses of St. X alumni, but the school is investigating the matter.  St. X President Perry E. Sangalli has tried to reach the King campaign, but hasn’t received a response, Littel says.

“That we would sell an address list or e-mail list without the permission of our constituents … we would never do that,” Littel says. “We highly value and protect that information. We’re investigating how that occurred.”

The King campaign was unavailable for comment.

Early this morning, after receiving complaints, the school’s alumni association responded, sending an e-mail notice that scolded the King campaign for fastening the X logo to campaign materials.

From the St. X Alumni:

“You may have received an email from jimkingformayor.com regarding a fundraising event which APPEARED to be authorized or sent by Saint Xavier High School and/or its Alumni Association.

Neither Saint Xavier High School nor its Alumni Association authorized the use of its logo or individual alumni email addresses, nor were they provided to Mr. King.

On behalf of the Alumni Association, we apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you.  We have communicated with Mr. King our surprise and great displeasure, and requested that he cease usage of the Saint Xavier logo and the illusion that these events are approved and sponsored by Saint Xavier High School.”

UPDATE:

Hoping to avoid any ill will from an institution that he holds in such high regard Councilman King has expressed his apologies to President Sangalli this morning and intends to cancel the Dec. 2 fundraiser in an effort to minimize any inconvenience, according to the King campaign.

“Being an alumni of St. X and a contributor and one who credits St. X for being a turning point in his life, Jim has nothing but the utmost respect for them, “ says Michael Tierney, a campaign spokesman. “As a result to clear up any confusion he has sent out a note to the alumni stating such and canceling the event.”

When asked how the campaign obtained the alumni e-mails, Tierney said the original intent was for the invitation to be sent only to friends, supporters and fellow classmates. During the distribution, however, the invitation was sent to a larger group by mistake.

The evite features King’s biography and a headline: “Son of St. X and our next mayor,” along with a prominent school logo and lettering.

The King campaign sent the following message to alumni who received the promotion:

“The Jim King for Mayor campaign sent you an evite to a fundraiser. Our intention was to send this communication only to friends and supporters. It was not our intention to imply that St. X endorsed the event. This evite and the distribution was not approved by St. X. To avoid confusion that this event is related to St. X it will be cancelled. We apologize for any inconvenience we may have caused.”