Cherokee County School Board Member Charged with Felony

July 10th, 2013

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A Cherokee County school board member has been charged with a felony for allegedly making false statements about the district’s superintendent. Police say board member Kelly Marlow accused Dr. Frank Petruzielo of trying to hit her with his car. The two were apparently at odds over several issues, including a new set of education standards.

Canton police say Marlow and two others said the alleged incident occurred after a June board meeting. But detectives say the claim wasn’t true. All three suspects have been charged with felonies for making false statements to detectives.

One heated issue between Marlow and Petruzielo is Georgia’s adoption of the Common Core education standards. At the June meeting, Marlow was apparently upset the board didn’t follow up on her request to form a committee to study the standards.

Marlow wrote a letter last month to the district’s accrediting agency complaining Petruzielo was “belligerent.” A group called Smart Citizens Rally Against Marlow, or SCRAM!, started an online petition asking Marlow to rescind the complaint.

In a statement, Petruzielo said the accusation against him is “a very serious allegation that has no basis in fact.”

Attorney Tony Morgese, who’s representing all three suspects, would only say they all maintain their innocence. Morgese said a court date has been set for August 15th.