Akron Mom Jailed For Placing Kids in Better School...

Ohioans who lose sleep over the thought of poor children becoming educated can rest easier now. In fact, they can rest assured that their state will apparently do whatever it takes to make sure that children who are unfortunate enough to reside in public housing do not distract the more fortunate children from getting a top notch education in its nicer public schools. For an example of how Ohio is laying down the law with regard to "education thieves," look no further than the case of Kelly Williams-Bolar who had the audacity to claim that her daughters, who lived with her in Akron city public housing, lived with their father in a different school district in order to have them placed in a better public school. Recognizing the havoc that the educated poor could wreak on the established societal order, the State of Ohio ensured that the dastardly deeds of Ms. Williams-Bolar were met with swift justice.

The school district accused the aspiring teacher of lying about her address, falsifying records and having her father file false court papers to circumvent the rules. The school asked her to repay $30,000 in tuition, saying her daughters were getting a quality education without paying taxes to contribute to the cost. She refused and was indicted by the district attorneys office on felony charges of falsifying records. A jury convicted her on this count and she was sentenced to ten days in jail by the judge, who cited a need to deter this type of heinous activity in the future. The school was satisfied with the verdict, citing the need to raise and collect taxpayer revenue from out-of district children who wish to attend the school, apparently missing the irony present in the fact that the school spent thousands of dollars to take the case to trial (including reportedly hiring a private investigator to follow Ms. Williams-Bolar and her children) and the absurdity of the assumption that disadvantaged children will pony up five-figure sums for tuition if they are denied the privilege to attend a certain school for free.

While Ms. Williams-Bolar did a minimal amount of jail time, she still faces the reality of having the felony on her record for the rest of her life. According to reports, this may jeopardize her future plans of becoming a teacher.

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