Kelly Marlow Ethics Hearing is Tonight

Parents, students and stakeholders in the Cherokee County School District will turn their gaze tonight onto the long-awaited ethics hearing for District 1 school board member Kelly Marlow. 

The hearing will get underway at 6 p.m. tonight at the historic Canton High School/School Board Auditorium, located at 111 Academy Street in Canton.

Only 100 people from the general public will be allowed into the hearing, excluding school board members, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Frank Petruzielo and his cabinet, School Board Attorney Tom Roach, hearing officer Hugh M. Dorsey III, the court reporter, Marlow's attorney or members of the press.

The school district will set up a live broadcast of the hearing at Cherokee High School's auditorium, located at 930 Marietta Highway in Canton. Additionally, the district on Tuesday said it's "determined that it will be possible" to set up a live feed of the hearing on its website.

A link to the hearing on the district's homepage will be made available before the hearing gets underway. 

Marlow is accused of not adhering to the school district's governing structure and ignoring guidelines outlining how she should conduct herself as a board member. 

She also allegedly ignored the board's chain of command in sending a letter to AdvancED that accuses her fellow board members of being unable to govern "effectively." 

AdvancED reviewed Marlow's complaint and eventually ruled the district was not in violation of its policies. 

Marlow, along with partner Robert Trim and resident Barbara Knowles, were all arrested in July and charged in relation to Knowles accusing Superintendent of Schools Dr. Frank Petruzielo of trying to run her over with his vehicle as he was leaving the June 13 board meeting. 

Knowles was charged with making a false report of a crime and making false statements while both Trim and Marlow were charged with making false statements. 

A Cherokee County grand jury next month is slated to review the charges and decide whether to indict the three individuals. 

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