The former Howard County teacher convicted of sex offenses with a 15-year-old boy now faces a $3 million civil lawsuit for causing the victim emotional distress.

The victim, now 18, filed a lawsuit Feb. 29 in Howard Circuit Court against former Hammond Middle School teacher Kirsten Kinley, the Howard Board of Education, Hammond Middle School Principal Kerry McGowan and the state.

Kinley, 28, who was convicted of third-degree sexual offense, is accused of “intentionally inflicting extreme emotional distress” when she had sex with the boy at her Columbia apartment and sent him nude photographs of herself in December 2004 while she was a Hammond Middle teacher, according to the lawsuit.

The Columbia victim, a former Hammond High student, was “vulnerable” and undergoing therapy for depression at the time, according to the lawsuit.

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In addition, the lawsuit said Kinley had “additional sexual liaisons” with underage students in the Howard school system.

The state of Maryland, Howard school board and Hammond Middle School Principal Kerry McGowan “breached their duty of care” to protect students, according to the lawsuit.

“There are a number of Howard County teachers who have been reported to have committed sexual actives ... and that is disconcerting,” said the victim’s attorney, Michael Taylor.

Former Glenelg High School teacher Joseph Ellis, 25, was convicted in January of sex abuse of a minor, indecent exposure and telephone misuse.

Former River Hill High School teacher Alan Beier, 52, is scheduled to go on trial March 26 for sex abuse of a minor.

“As far as a pattern, I don’t think there is one,” said School Board Member Diane Mikulis, who was board president.

She added that the incidents are “very unfortunate occurrences.”

Howard schools spokeswoman Patti Caplan said school officials “were not in a position to comment,” because they had not received the lawsuit.

Taylor said the School Board “was made aware of” the lawsuit and will be served it soon.

Kinley is serving 18 months at the Maryland Correctional Institution for Women in Jessup.

Staff Writer Sara Michael contributed to this story.

cpeirce@baltimoreexaminer.com