Kelly Marlow: PTA Comments Taken "Out of Context"

Cherokee County School Board Member Kelly Marlow is striking back at what she calls efforts by PTA leaders to divert attention away from "less award-winning facts about our schools."

On her personal website, Marlow penned a letter addressing the criticism lauded at her by residents regarding comments she made on Facebook about the PTA, or the Parent Teacher Association. 

Recent criticism, she added, have "proven to be an effective distraction from troubling local news stories such as a students engaging in public sex acts and the conviction of yet another child predator."

Marlow notes her comments were directed at a PTA leader in New York, and had nothing to do with PTA leaders in Georgia and Cherokee County.

"Again, the so called PTA leaders who choose to spend their time trolling Facebook instead of advocating for vitally important local issues such as unsanitary school restrooms, bus safety and unfunded federal mandates to name a few, have taken my comments out of context to quench their insatiable desire to divert the public eye away from the less award-winning facts about our schools," she added. "None of the recent letters or e-mails by those so offended by my comments actually reference the disturbing article, which tells me that they either never read it or perhaps they just don’t deal in facts. Either possibility should be reason to take pause."

Marlow went on to ask why "attention-seeking sycophants" at the local level have not focused their attention on the national PTA organization and its "misguided support of the federal takeover of our education system."

The school board member also said she's reached out to a former PTA president at Sixes Elementary School to see if there is "room for discussion" on this issue at the local level. Marlow said she reached out to this parent and asked to meet face-to-face on the issue. 

Marlow wrote that the parent's "disdainful response" noted that she and the board member were on opposite sides of the issue that there would "never be a middle ground."

"Given her harsh words and the almost constant personal attacks by supposed PTA leaders, who clearly have a personal political agenda, my point about PTA bullying has alas been shown to be a miserable reality," Marlow concludes.

Marlow has been indicted by a Cherokee County grand jury on four counts of making false statements in relation to allegations that Superintendent of Schools Dr. Frank Petruzielo tried to run her and two others over after a June school board meeting. 

Robert Trim, Marlow's partner and political advisor, was indicted on three counts of making false statements. Barbara Knowles, secretary of the Cherokee County Republican Party, was indicted on one count of filing a false report and four counts of making false statements. 

Knowles made the original call to Cherokee County E-911 to report the allegations. After investigating the allegations, Canton police later issued arrest warrants for the trio's arrest.

A three-person panel appointed by Gov. Nathan Deal in November determined the indictment does not relate to or adversely affect Marlow’s ability to perform her official duties

In October, the school board voted to say Marlow violated board policies when she sent a letter to AdvancED, requesting the agency investigate her colleagues and the district.

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