Parole Board Says No to Kelley Williams-Bolar Clemency in Copley-Fairlawn Schools Residency Case

Members of the Ohio Parole Board are united in a decision not to recommend clemency for

According to a report issued today by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and correction, "the Parole Board voted unanimously to submit an unfavorable recommendation regarding any form of clemency, including a pardon." 

Williams-Bolar, 41, of Akron, was sentenced to 10 days in Summit County Jail and received two years probation and community service for two counts of tampering with records. She was convicted of providing false records to enroll her two children in .

The case was presented to the Summit County Prosecutor by Copley-Fairlawn Schools after an investigator hired by the district discovered that the children did not live with their grandparents, as the mother had claimed.

The recommendation goes to Ohio Gov. John Kasich. The governor could still decide to pardon Williams-Bolar, take no action or accept the board's recommendation. 

According to the report released today, the parole board based its decision on the following issues:

• Although she said she feared for her children's safety, Williams-Bolar did not consider moving in with her father to legally enroll children in the district. 
• She demonstrated a pattern of deceitful behavior, including falsifying records for her address, the free and reduced school lunch program and military status.
• Williams-Bolar argued that clemency should be given because the felony conviction would damage her chances of becoming a teacher, but she is not close to obtaining her degree, although she has attended college since 1988.

Since the conviction, Williams-Bolar has completed approximately 6 months of her 2 years of community control. She told the board she has completed  80 hours of community service at the Macedonia Baptist Church under the supervision of Pastor Lorenzo Glenn by completing odd jobs around the church.  She also indicated that she has completed a mentorship program through her church, as ordered by the court, and has written her letter to Judge Cosgrove regarding the completion of this program. Williams-Bolar said that she has not been asked to submit a urinalysis thus far to test for drugs. She said she has not used drugs or alcohol.

Six people spoke on Williams-Bolar's behalf to the parole board, including lifelong friend Dennis Cox.

Cox said Williams-Bolar was distraught over a burglary in the neighborhood in 2006. He told the parole board he believes stress his friend was under caused her to commit the offense.

Contacted after the release of the decision today, Copley-Fairlawn schools superintendent Brian Poe released this written statement:"The district is focused on continuing to provide an outstanding education for our 3,400 students."

Assistant Summit County Prosecutor Brad Gessner represented Ohio in the clemency hearing and read a portion of a letter from the Copley-Fairlawn School Board.

“In the case of Ms. Williams-Bolar, the Board of Education was repeatedly lied to and intentionally deceived in an effort to circumvent both the law and Board policy...  “Any effort to reduce or otherwise mitigate the verdict or the sentence under these facts would communicate exactly the wrong message and result in significant hardship for Copley-Fairlawn Schools and many other districts in Ohio who are similarly situated, i.e. those districts which have a fiduciary duty to voters and taxpayers of their communities."

Read more about the clemency