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Ohio mother, Kelley Williams-Bowlar, first made headlines after being arrested for using her
father's address so that her children could attend school in a better district. Williams-Bowlar
was initially charged with theft, after school officials claimed that her actions cost the district
more than thirty thousand dollars, but those charges were eventually dismissed. She was later
convicted of two counts of felony records tampering and sentenced to 10 days in jail, two
years probation, and 80 hours of community service. The case sparked national outrage about
educational inequality.
In spite of the uproar, The Ohio Parole Board recently denied Williams-Bowlar's pardon request.
Members of the board objected to Williams-Bowlar's "deceitful" actions and argued that her
situation was not unlike that of any other parents who are responsible for providing for their
children's welfare, and who manage to do so without breaking the law. Although Williams-
Bowlar previously worked as a teaching assistant and explained that having a felony on her
record would hinder her future plans to teach, the parole board dismissed these concerns as little
more than an excuse, countering that she hadn't taken the necessary steps to earn a teaching
degree. However, Ohio Gov. John Kasich did reduce Williams-Bowlar's records tampering
charges from felonies to misdemeanors, warning that his decision should be viewed as a second
chance rather than a pass. Williams-Bowlar will still have to complete her probation and
community service and pay her own prosecution costs.
Many people have praised the Ohio governor for his leniency, but justice has still not been
served. The outcome shows that, "cash rules everything around [us]" as Williams-Bowlar is
being forced to pay the cost of the state of Ohio's ridiculous decision to prosecute a mother for
trying to provide a better life for her children. Rather than address the social and economic issues
that led to her having to take illegal actions, the school district was more worried about how
much money they lost. Meanwhile, a woman's reputation is permanently damaged, whether she
has a felony or a misdemeanor, making it even more difficult for her to obtain either a job or
a loan to finance the education degree that the parole board so graciously pointed out that she
lacked.
All things considered, Williams-Bowlar is still far better off than Troy Davis who is scheduled
to be executed next week. The Georgia native, who was convicted for the 1989 murder of a
police officer, has literally been fighting for his life as long (and longer) than many of us have
been alive. Giving all new meaning to the term "reasonable doubt" his life is still at the mercy of
eyewitness testimony that has been repeatedly proven unreliable and even coerced. (There is also
no physical evidence against him, including a weapon.) So, just as it did for Williams-Bowlar,
the public stepped in where the system did not and rallied for justice. Our outrage and diligence
has managed to save Mr. Davis for so far. Hopefully, we can come together to do it again.
Our View: These two prominent cases serve as a reminder that, for people of color,
especially, "justice" is still lacking in the criminal justice system.
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