An Ohio woman has seen her life upended after being convicted of two felonies for falsifying documents by using her father's address instead of her own so her two girls could study in a better school district. The woman, Kelley Williams-Bolar, 40, served nine days in jail, and, although officials said Thursday she wouldn't lose her job as a special education assistant at a public high school, the nearby school district says she owes $30,000 for the two-plus years her children attended classes there. Does the punishment fit the crime, or is this a harsh way to treat a parent seeking a better life for her kids? (Watch a local report about the controversy)
This is unfair — and probably racist: What happened to Kelley Williams-Bolar "is outrageous," and "an embarrassment for anyone who believes in fair education," says Madeline Holler at Strollerderby. Her family lives in a mostly African-American Akron public housing project served by schools that are "overcrowded, underfunded," and just not as good as the nearby schools for "middle-class and mostly white students." Yes, she broke the rules knowingly, but she did it for her kids. It's only a crime because she's poor and black.
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