The Cherokee County school board voted Wednesday night to conduct an ethics hearing on controversial board member Kelly Marlow.

The focus will be Marlow’s request that AdvancEd, the parent company of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) reexamine whether the school system deserves full accreditation.

Marlow, who voted in favor of the ethics hearing, is accused of violating the board’s own rules by making an individual request for an investigation by the school system’s accrediting agency.

No firm date has been set for the hearing, but school system officials say it will be held no earlier than Aug. 24. The hearing will be open to the public.

Tensions have been brewing since January when Marlow was sworn in on the board. The Republican with tea party support has publicly called out longtime Superintendent Frank Petruzielo, accusing him of withholding financial information.

They escalated last month after Marlow and two associates claimed Petruzielo’s car charged them, narrowly missing them. Police later charged them with giving false statements, claiming a security video from a nearby tavern didn’t support their claims.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth, among others, will no longer be considered fee-free days at U.S. National Parks. While the MLK National Historic Park in Atlanta doesn't charge admission, the new schedule will affect such metro Atlanta sites as Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Featured

Jo'wan Bellamy taught in the GNETS program for 17 years and recently transferred to Atlanta’s new behavioral program at Crawford Long Middle School. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com