Ohio woman jailed for sending her kids to school in different school district

[Anonymous]

It's not just "jail", she's been convicted of a felony! This is the most ridiculous felony conviction that I've seen in a LONG time. I cannot believe that in America we still cannot choose what public school our kids attend. If too many students have requested to attend one school, the district needs to see what is working to ensure all schools and students have the same opportunities.

The fact that this is a felony sickens me.

Only in America because the child is black and the father of the child lives in a predominantly white school district.

There is no one on this board that can produce a similar case with similar draconian punishment for a white mother sending her child to attend a better school in the neighborhood of the biological father in any of the 50 States of the United States of America.

The motives, mechanisms and socio-legal pathophsiology is simple here---typical and blazen racism. This is not rocket science.

[Anonymous]

this is just fucken sickening really. If that had been a white woman she wouldnt be in jail, this police state we all live in is terrible and one day people are going to rise up and smash down this oppressive crap we live in. and all of you who live in white suburbia and dont see the horrors that go on to people at the hands of the Fascist DOGS of this horrific
system we live under will not understand, thats too bad. look at Oscar Grant Executed by the police while there were two PIGS on him he was face down being handcuffed and unarmed. Maybe you who posted that "she led and needs to go to jail" Maybe you would rather see her executed as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

It's not just "jail", she's been convicted of a felony! This is the most ridiculous felony conviction that I've seen in a LONG time. I cannot believe that in America we still cannot choose what public school our kids attend. If too many students have requested to attend one school, the district needs to see what is working to ensure all schools and students have the same opportunities.

The fact that this is a felony sickens me.

Only in America because the child is black and the father of the child lives in a predominantly white school district.

There is no one on this board that can produce a similar case with similar draconian punishment for a white mother sending her child to attend a better school in the neighborhood of the biological father in any of the 50 States of the United States of America.

The motives, mechanisms and socio-legal pathophsiology is simple here---typical and blazen racism. This is not rocket science.

Michelle Rhee, sent her children to her exh-husband's neighborhood school. The children resided with Michelle. You are correct PP, this was draconian from top to bottom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh please. Jail? Why not community service or something that will benefit society. Treating her like a hardened criminal is .....criminal in view. What are the Ohio taxpayers paying to throw her in jail? It's ridiculous.

It's not just "jail", she's been convicted of a felony! This is the most ridiculous felony conviction that I've seen in a LONG time. I cannot believe that in America we still cannot choose what public school our kids attend. If too many students have requested to attend one school, the district needs to see what is working to ensure all schools and students have the same opportunities.

The fact that this is a felony sickens me.

False statements to government agencies are typically felonies. E.g. 18 U.S.C. 1001. There are many situations that are far more unjust than charging a felony for a knowingly false statement designed to obtain a particular benefit unlawfully. It's not like she spent 10 months in jail, she only got 10 days.

[Anonymous]

False statements to government agencies are typically felonies. E.g. 18 U.S.C. 1001. There are many situations that are far more unjust than charging a felony for a knowingly false statement designed to obtain a particular benefit unlawfully. It's not like she spent 10 months in jail, she only got 10 days.

That's why our White President did not spend any time in jail and the white Scooter Libby -- got pardoned!





Subject: E, did you see this? -- Fwd: Unjust


Dear E,
Last week we wrote to you about the case of Kelley Williams-Bolar, a single mother who was convicted of a felony and put in jail after she sent her kids to a school outside her district.
38,000 ColorOfChange members have already called on Ohio's governor to push for justice in her case, and we're planning on delivering the petitions later this week. Can you help us get to 50,000 signatures by adding your voice (and asking your friends and family to do the same)? It takes just a moment:
http://act.colorofchange.org/sign/ohioschools
You can read more about the case in the email below.
-- James, Gabriel, William, Dani, Natasha and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team




A struggling single mom tried to do what's best for her kids by placing them in a neighboring school.
She was put in jail, and now her family's future is in jeopardy.

Tell Ohio Gov. John Kasich to help right this wrong:


Dear E,
Kelley Williams-Bolar wanted to give her children a better life by sending them to school in the nearby majority-White school district where her father lives — and she went to jail for it. Now, as a convicted felon, helping her children will be even harder — she had been studying to become a teacher, but that dream may have ended as well.
Real justice requires that the punishment fit the crime; by any measure, this is cruelly unjust.
Please join us calling on Governor Kasich to take a public stand and do everything he can to right this injustice (including making sure that Williams-Bolar has the opportunity to become a teacher in Ohio). And please ask your friends and family to add their voices as well — it takes just a moment:
http://act.colorofchange.org/sign/ohioschools
Kelley Williams-Bolar is a single mother of two daughters, and she is a teacher’s aide in Akron city schools who has been studying to become a teacher. According to Williams-Bolar, after their home in a housing project was burglarized, she decided to protect her daughters’ safety by sending them to school in neighboring Copley Township, where her father lives.1
Williams-Bolar claims that she maintained a part-time residence at her father’s home, but the school district didn’t see it that way. Neither did County Prosecutor Sherri Walsh, who charged Williams-Bolar with grand theft and falsifying records — a third-degree felony. The judge presiding over the case recognized the harshness of the felony charge and encouraged Prosecutor Walsh to offer a plea bargain for a lighter charge — but Walsh flatly refused.2
Williams-Bolar was convicted on the felony charge, and sentenced to 5 years in prison. The judge suspended all but 10 days of the jail time, instead ordering 3 years of probation and 80 hours of community service. She’s out of jail now, but the repercussions could last a lifetime: unless the felony is eliminated from her record, Williams-Bolar may be unable to earn her teaching certificate under Ohio law. Williams-Bolar is only a few classes away from earning her teaching certificate.3
Any parent could understand why Kelley Williams-Bolar did what she did to try to give her children access to opportunity. It’s tragic that families around America must make choices like this every day in order to ensure their kids are safe and well-educated. And it’s tragic that this family’s opportunity to succeed stands to be limited because a single mom chose to put her kids first.
With just a moment of your time, you can make clear to Governor John Kasich that you expect him to lead in ensuring real justice that’s proportional to the facts of the case. By speaking out, you’re not just standing with Williams-Bolar — you’re standing with every parent who doesn’t have access to great schools, and who must make difficult choices.
Please join our call for justice for Kelley Williams-Bolar. And when you do, please ask your friends and family to do the same.
http://act.colorofchange.org/sign/ohioschools
Thanks and Peace,
-- James, Gabriel, William, Dani, Natasha and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team
January 28th, 2011
Help support our work. ColorOfChange.org is powered by YOU -- your energy and dollars. We take no money from lobbyists or large corporations that don't share our values, and our tiny staff ensures your contributions go a long way. You can contribute here:
https://secure.colorofchange.org/contribute/
References:
1. "Ohio Mom Kelley Williams-Bolar Jailed for Sending Kids to Better School District," ABC News, 1-26-2011
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/703?akid=1881.110960.g8L-tl&t=8
2. "Kelley Williams-Bolar leaves jail but public outcry escalates," The Beacon Journal, 1-26-2011
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/704?akid=1881.110960.g8L-tl&t=10
3. See Reference 1

[Anonymous]

It's fraud she committed. I'd expect some consequences if I did that.
The prosecutor probably prosecuted to make an example out of her.
Jail does seem awfully harsh, but she was duly convicted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's fraud she committed. I'd expect some consequences if I did that.
The prosecutor probably prosecuted to make an example out of her.
Jail does seem awfully harsh, but she was duly convicted.

Yeah, I bet you lie and fudge on your income tax every year. I hope they knock on your door and duly prosecute you for fraud.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's fraud she committed. I'd expect some consequences if I did that.
The prosecutor probably prosecuted to make an example out of her.
Jail does seem awfully harsh, but she was duly convicted.

Yeah, I bet you lie and fudge on your income tax every year. I hope they knock on your door and duly prosecute you for fraud.

no, I don't, but if I did, yes, I would expect to be duly prosecuted for fraud.

[Anonymous]

It's fraud she committed. I'd expect some consequences if I did that.
The prosecutor probably prosecuted to make an example out of her.
Jail does seem awfully harsh, but she was duly convicted.

No surprise here. In the not so old days the woman would have been lynched with your approval. All legal. And similarly, no white woman in any of the 50 States of the Union would ever receive such a draconian act.

I agree with you in that respect. Not much has really changed.

[Anonymous]

t's fraud she committed. I'd expect some consequences if I did that.
The prosecutor probably prosecuted to make an example out of her.
Jail does seem awfully harsh, but she was duly convicted.

If you speak with some of our most senior citizens and read the newspaper reports and history books your reasoning was the precise reasoning and justification for lynching in this country. i find this fascinating.

[Anonymous]

Yup, same behavior, posture, and reasoning exhibited by the Natzis of yesteryear.

[Anonymous]

The last page of posts has been nuts - comparing the crazy Ohio judge to Nazis and lynchers. The judge was clearly over the top and I totally disagree with the harsh penalty (and totally disagree w/ school policies that allow self segretation based on income rather than trying to bus across neighborhoods to even out the demographics)...but I think people are looking to tar this as racism instead of an example of how messed up our school systems are throughout the U.S.

"Only in America because the child is black and the father of the child lives in a predominantly white school district.

There is no one on this board that can produce a similar case with similar draconian punishment for a white mother sending her child to attend a better school in the neighborhood of the biological father in any of the 50 States of the United States of America. "

There is also not an epidemic going on of black women being "caught" and harshly penalized for this crime otherwise it woul dnot have made the news as such a big deal. So we have basically ONE example to go off of. We also don't have lots of examples of white parents doing the same thing in the same state and getting a slap on the wrist. If both those situations were happening - then it might well be racism. But to jump to the conclusion that it's racism from just one example (crazy as that example is) seems a big stretch.

[Anonymous]

History has borne out the fact Nazis and American lynchers were clearly over the top with draconian acts based on phenotype (e.g., race and religion). This Ohio judge is no different from judges in Nazi and slavery eras. Would an American Judge today dare meat out such punishment for a white woman (teacher and educator) in this country who preferred her child attend school in the biological father's neighborhood school district? Name the judge, (district, federal, appellate or Supreme Court) and State?

A spade is a spade. This judgement is tarred with racism. The messed up school system is secondary. Even this messed up US school system will protect a white woman in a similar predicament from such draconian punishment. This is unadulterated racism. Admit it and deal with it. There is no need for white washing here.

[Anonymous]

This Ohio judge is no different from judges in Nazi and slavery eras.

no different? really? A judge making a bad ruling (resulting in jail time but not the death sentence) no different from murders and torurers? if you truly think that, then I guess that explains why you think the biggest "story" here is one of black and white racism as opposed to the systemic problems of our school system forcing people to make desperate choices that impact people of all races.

[Anonymous]

Ok I thought the situation in Ohio was terrible and does represent the horrible accepted racism and segregation that still present in this society. I am saying this as a white woman in DC. But let's be real it is the well off white folks on things like DCUM that perpetuate these problems. Not Nazi's just people that can't let go of their prejudice. Get rid of the overheated rhetoric look in the mirror and then figure out how you can change things.