School board member accuses parent of Apalachee shooting victim of retaliation
The Barrow County Board of Education asked a school board member to resign after she allegedly tried to use her position to get her son out of a traffic ticket and accused a police officer of retaliating against her after the Apalachee High School shooting.
Beverly Kelley, who has served on the board since 2019, was formally censured by the school board this week. It’s an unusual step that boards of education can take in the event a member exhibits what they believe is unethical conduct.
Kelley was in the passenger seat of a vehicle her son was driving when they were stopped by an Auburn police officer Dec. 7, according to the censure letter. The letter does not explain the reason they were stopped. Kelley and her son met with the police chief and city solicitor in January.
During the meeting, according to the letter, Kelley tried to get her son’s ticket dismissed by stating twice that she was a school board member and putting her district identification on the desk in front of the solicitor.
Further, Kelley “repeatedly” accused an officer of retaliatory conduct, the letter states. She suggested a police officer issued the citation because their child was injured during the Apalachee High School shooting. Two students and two teachers were killed and others were injured Sept. 4, 2024, in Georgia’s deadliest school shooting. The shooting suspect’s father, Colin Gray, who is accused of giving his son the weapon used at the school, is currently on trial for 29 charges, including two counts of second-degree murder.
“These actions vilify a shooting victim from this tragic incident for personal gain while undermining the work of the board and district,” the board’s letter states. “Moreover, this conduct has the potential to cause reputational and fiscal harm to the district, further undermining the work of educating the youth of Barrow County.”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reached out to Kelley via email, but did not get a response by the time of publication.
In an interview with Channel 2 Action News, Kelley said she will not be resigning.
“I didn’t do anything wrong,” she told the news outlet. “If I had done something wrong, I would.”
About the Author
Cassidy Alexander covers Georgia education issues for the AJC. She previously covered education for The Daytona Beach News-Journal, and was named Florida's Outstanding New Journalist of the Year.
