Tonya McDowell, 34, given 12 year sentence suspended after five years served and five years probation for falsifying documents to get her child in school.
The zoning laws that are in place aim to keep children in their rightful school seats where no one can take them away. But in scenarios where students end up in the wrong zone either from a parent knowingly using the wrong address or from someone living with another to get their child in their district’s school, lawmakers translate that into theft. At that point, the child’s parent is stealing another child’s seat from them…and the price is steep if you get caught.
Like her predecessor Kelly Williams Bolar, who we reported being jailed for falsifying documents to get her children into a school in a better district in Ohio, Tonya McDowell, 34, now faces five years in prison for the same offense. The McDowell case is a little different though because there were drug sells involved.
Bolar was incarcerated for 10 days and put on three years probation for the crime of trying to get her children a better education in Norwalk, Conn. instead of Bridgeport. McDowell has several other factors against her. She was homeless, using her babysitter’s address and selling dope. They threw the bookshelf at her. The actual sentence is for 12 years in prison, suspended after she serves five years and another five years probation, according to Your Black World.
Do you feel that there really should be a fundamental change in the zoning laws or do you believe they are right to send them to jail for this offense? Prison sentences are too much. In Bolar’s case, she was studying to be a teacher and now she cannot ever teach children because of this felony charge. Travesty or justice? Read more here.
-J.C. Brooks
March 7th, 2012 at 7:02 am
THIS IS A TRAGEDY!!! AND I AM GOING TO PETITION. THIS MOTHER SHOULD NOT BE PLACED IN JAIL… WHERE IS HER SON GOING? TO THE STATE… NAH, THIS IS BULLSHIT. PRETTY RIDICULOUS. A MOTHERS QUEST TO EDUCATE HER SON GETS 12 YEARS IN JAIL. THE JUSTICE SYSTEM IS SOOOO JACKED.
March 7th, 2012 at 9:14 am
26 other children were at the SAME school for the same reasons. NONE of them were charged. This was a personal attack on this woman for who she is and she was made out to be an example to put fear in people like her. she was homeless, going to school and probably sold drugs to eat. homeless people cannot get welfare because they do not have a physical address. she probably didn’t want welfare anyway. now her career as a teacher is over? someone is going to answer to God for this one!!
March 7th, 2012 at 11:22 am
Its amazing how this kind of stuff only happens to black people. Our system is so bias and even when we are trying to do the right thing, some how the justice system finds a way to make it illegal. Having a felony attached to your name becomes a barrier to obtaining the “American Dream” and here is a mother, who in spite of her bad decisions, still maintained the dream of her child obtaining a good education. I question the logic…how strong can our country be when over a third of its population is incarcerated? No child was hurt or harmed because of her decision. This is absolutely a tragedy.
March 8th, 2012 at 12:02 am
This is ridiculous. People do this out of deperation trying to make sure their kids can get a good education which seems to be elusive for certain people in certain communities, hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
The sentence is overkill since there are violent criminals who get lighter sentences.
March 8th, 2012 at 4:44 am
Now.. There are other important things they should be focusing on then mothers trying to get there children into a different school or a better school. Like the childrens education, health, the well being of a child, or if the child is being abuse. And if she’s a single parent who toke care of then child while in jail. Don’t tell me foster care because that more money the government is wasting.
September 11th, 2012 at 2:39 pm
This is racism; they do not want our children in their schools and they are using these mothers to scare other minorities. The “good” schools are usually outside of predominately black and/or hispanic neighborhoods; so, it is usually minorities that commit this ‘crime.’ We should be marching in the streets for this lady.
December 12th, 2012 at 8:56 pm
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