Ex-Beaufort Co. Montessori teacher charged with criminal solicitation of a minor
A former Montessori private school teacher in Beaufort County and eight-year substitute in the public school system has been accused of having unlawful communication with a child, according to police.
Kalen Faye Wolfe, 47, of Hilton Head Island, was charged Friday with criminal solicitation of a minor and procuring or promoting obscenity, both of which are felonies, according to arrest records.
Wolfe was an art teacher at May River Montessori in Old Town Bluffton for several years, according to her former biography on the school’s website. She served as a part-time substitute teacher for the Beaufort County School District from 2008 to 2016, district spokesperson Candace Bruder said.
Wolfe’s contract with May River Montessori ended July 31, 2025, and there has been “no further communication” between her and the school since then, according to Catherine Donaldson, chair of the school’s board of trustees. Donaldson said the school had no further comment as of Tuesday.
Wolfe also worked at Sea Pines Montessori Academy prior to its 2025 merger with Hilton Head Preparatory School. Her contract was not renewed after July 2021, according to HHPS’ Head of School Paul Horgan, who said he did not know when Wolfe’s employment at the academy began due to multiple changes in leadership in the last five years.
Montessori schools’ depart from formal teaching methods by prioritizing hands-on education, mixed-age classrooms and student-led learning. There are about a half-dozen Montessori schools in Beaufort County, all of which are private.
The investigation into the ex-teacher
The investigation into Wolfe began almost two months ago, when a witness went to police and reported the alleged crime March 27, according to Staff Sgt. Robert Herlong, a spokesperson for the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office. He added that Wolfe’s arrest warrants were issued on Thursday, and she turned herself in the next day.
Herlong declined to specify the nature of the allegations, the date of the alleged crime and age of the victim. He said police were still determining whether the alleged crime is connected to Wolfe’s status as an educator, and whether any of her students were affected.
“We only have one victim at this point, but there’s always a possibility of more,” Herlong told The Island Packet. “So we’re just asking for anybody that has any more information if they could share it.”
What do the charges mean?
Under South Carolina law, criminal solicitation of a minor involves an adult contacting a minor “with the intent of persuading ... or coercing” the child to participate in a sexual activity or violent crime. It’s punishable by up to 10 years in prison or a $5,000 fine, or both.
Wolfe’s other charge, procuring or promoting obscenity, is defined as a suspect allegedly disseminating obscene material through writing, images, digital files or performances that lack “serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.”
The exact allegations of Wolfe’s case were unclear as of Tuesday afternoon. A request for the incident report from the sheriff’s office yielded only the front page, which confirmed the case was opened March 27.
Who is Kalen Faye Wolfe?
Wolfe’s biography on May River Montessori’s website, which had been removed as of Tuesday but was accessible through an online archive dated May 2, 2025, said Wolfe was entering her fourth year of teaching at the school, “bringing a wealth of experience in drama and music for toddlers through secondary students.”
The archived bio went on to say Wolfe was raised in New England and attended the Massachusetts College of Art in Boston. She has “extensive experience as a camp director in South Carolina and New Hampshire,” the bio said.
Inquiries to the S.C. Department of Education about whether Wolfe’s educator certification would be suspended were not answered Tuesday afternoon.
This report will be updated as more information becomes available.
This story was originally published May 26, 2026 at 4:48 PM.
