“An Ohio mother of two was sentenced to 10 days in jail and placed on three years probation after sending her kids to a school district in which they did not live. Kelley Williams-Bolar was sentenced by Judge Patricia Cosgrove on Tuesday and will begin serving her sentence immediately. The jury deliberated for seven hours and the courtroom was packed as the sentence was handed down. She was convicted on two counts of tampering with court records after registering her two girls as living with Williams Bolar’s father when they actually lived with her. The family lived in the housing projects in Akron, Ohio, and the father’s address was in nearby Copley Township. Additionally, Williams-Bolar’s father, Edward L. Williams, was charged with a fourth-degree felony of grand theft, in which he and his daughter are charged with defrauding the school system for two years of educational services for their girls. The court determined that sending their children to the wrong school was worth $30,500 in tuition. - Dr. Boyce WatkinsAs punishment for doing everything in her power to keep her children educated and safe in a public education environment that allows for $30k “tuition” discrepancies to form between districts, Ms. Williams-Bolar, a single mother with no previous criminal record, has been made a felon by Ohio judge Patricia Cosgrove. In addition to jail time, a large fine and probation, Ms. Williams-Bolar’s felony conviction has also robbed her of her future.
“‘Because of the felony conviction, you will not be allowed to get your teaching degree under Ohio law as it stands today. The court’s taking into consideration that is also a punishment that you will have to serve.” – Judge Patricia Cosgrove
Although Ms. Williams-Bolar had nearly completed her education to become a teacher, under Ohio law felons are not permitted to teach. This sentence has all but ensured that the dire social and economic circumstances which drove Ms. Williams-Bolar to de-fraud the school system in the first place will never change. She has been robbed of the opportunity to elevate her life and the lives of her family through her own hard work. Judge Cosgrove has essentially handed Ms. Williams-Bolar a life sentence for attempting to protect and enrich her children. In a time of overwhelming economic disadvantage for so many US citizens, are loving single mothers like Williams-Bolar truly the enemy our court system should be making examples of in this way?I’m hoping this story gains ground and even more attention so that hopefully we can get this appealed.
Ms. Williams-Bolar’s attorneys are currently preparing for an appeal. Please sign this petition to let Ohio lawmakers and the judicial office of Patricia Cosgrove know that you do not feel that Kelley Williams-Bolar’s punishment appropriately fits her crime, and that you support a reduction of her sentence upon her appeal.
Wouldn’t it also be nice if those same celebrities who spend $100,00′s on jewelry and shenanigans, could help this woman with her legal fund??
Sure would be nice….
1 comment:
That's very unfortunate and the sentences certainly does not fit the "crime". But on another note-- Why do we leave our own community to seek "better" what's wrong with fixing our own communities/schools. Just a thought.
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