COLUMBUS, Ohio, Feb. 8 (UPI) -- Thousands of people have signed petitions seeking a pardon for an Ohio woman who illegally enrolled her daughters in a suburban school district, supporters say.
Kelley Williams-Bolar, 40, of Akron spent 10 days in jail after she was found guilty. A judge sentenced her to five years but then suspended most of the term.
ColorofChange.org, Change.org and MomsRising.org said they delivered petitions with 165,000 signatures to the office of Gov. John Kasich Monday, The Columbus Dispatch reported. The governor's staff said he is still considering the case.
Kasich, a Republican elected last year, cited Williams-Bolar in a speech last week supporting vouchers and school choice.
Williams-Bolar was working as a teacher's aide in Akron while attending the University of Akron with hopes of becoming a teacher when she began sending her daughters to the Copley-Fairlawn district in 2006. While their grandmother lived in the district, investigators said Williams-Bolar gave false answers on official forms to enroll them.
In an interview with the Akron Beacon Journal, she said she was concerned about the two girls being home alone after school.
