Tell Ohio Gov. John Kasich: Pardon Kelley Williams-Bolar

by Carol Scott · 2011-01-26 15:49:00 UTC
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During his campaign, Ohio Governor John Kasich pledged to bring jobs into the state and help heal Ohio's distressed economy.

How will he handle the situation of Kelley Williams-Bolar, an Akron woman who wanted the best for her children but is now in jail and may be prevented from having a job? More than 11,000 Change.org members hope he'll do the right thing.

Thousands of people across the country have asked Gov. Kasich to pardon Kelley Williams-Bolar, an Akron, Ohio woman sentenced for sending her daughters to school in a district where they did not have residency.

Williams-Bolar was jailed, given 80 hours of community service and slammed with three years of probation after she was convicted of falsifying residency records so that her two daughters could go to school in nearby Copley, Ohio, where her father lived. Williams-Bolar, an African-American single mother, lived in public housing in Akron.

Williams-Bolar maintains that she was worried about her children's safety and never meant to deceive school officials. Even if she did do something illegal, forcing jail time on a mom trying to give her children a better life is a senseless punishment. Even worse, her felony conviction could cripple her career as an educator. Currently just classes away from a teaching degree, she works as a special education assistant. As a convicted felon, she'd be barred from teaching in Ohio.

This wrongheaded decision has led to fiery debate about education, race and upward mobility in America today. For many, it's also become a call to action. Spreading the word on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and the blogosphere, more than 11,000 have signed a Change.org petition created by member Caitlin Lord (read Lord's insights here) in support of Williams-Bolar. That petition, which was updated and focused today, asks Ohio's new governor, John Kasich, to pardon Williams-Bolar for this victimless crime.

Sign the petition and tell Gov. Kasich to pardon Kelley Williams-Bolar. After you sign, tweet the link to your friends using http://bit.ly/williamsbolar and #savekellywilliamsbolar (sic).

Photo credit: Miss Jia

Carol Scott is the Education Editor for Change.org.
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