The Letter

I am sending the following letter (and email) to the American Taekwondo Association (ATA), of which ATA Martial Arts in Anthem, Arizona is a member. The co-owner's name has been replaced with "Kay."

Dear Sir or Madam:

We are under contract with ATA Martial Arts, located at 4235 W. Opportunity Way, Suite 100, Anthem, AZ 85086. We have had a series of unsatisfactory interactions with the school manager and co-owner, "Kay."

On March 21, 2009, my wife was testing for her black belt. My mother-in-law, children, and I were in attendance for this important event. At one point, the floor judges were organizing board breaking stations. There was no active testing in progress. Kay felt the children in the spectator area were being too loud, and came over to quiet them. She literally screamed at one of my children.

My mother-in-law was standing in the proximity of the children, and was shocked by Kay’s behavior. She also noted that much of the noise in the area was coming from directly in front of her – from the black belt kids sitting on the mat awaiting the start of board breaks.

Testing ended, and my wife successfully tested for her black belt. As I was getting the kids ready to leave, Kay thrust one of her fingers towards my wife, and rudely told my wife: “You need to school your kids.”

On March 23rd, my wife went to the school to discuss Saturday’s issues with Kay. Far from defusing the situation, Kay made matters worse. At the conclusion of her meeting with Kay, my wife indicated to me that she was never going back to ATA Martial Arts in Anthem.

On March 26th, I went to the school to ask Kay to cancel our contract. She agreed to do so, but requested a follow-up conversation with my wife. She indicated that she would cancel our contract regardless of whether my wife came back to speak with her.

On March 30th, my wife and I had a follow-up conversation with Kay. My wife and I were not impressed with her attitude and bearing. It became apparent that my family would not be able to return to the school. I called Kay later that evening to confirm that we wished to cancel our contract. Kay confirmed to me that she would do so.

Later that evening, my wife received an email from Kay. Kay indicated that she would not cancel the contract as she had previously committed. Kay’s justification was that my wife had posted a couple of private comments on Facebook. The comments were not inflammatory.

I would appreciate it if our contract were cancelled, as Kay originally agreed. Kay’s unprofessional behavior has insured that my family will not return, and it seems inherently unjust to continue paying the school for a situation Kay fostered and exacerbated.

I look forward to your reply, and an acceptable resolution to this issue. Please contact me at the above address or by email at xxxx@xxx.com.