And just how much is this costing US?? Why does Bartow County have money to sink into lawsuits (Grizzle, now this) and dodgy deals (land purchased for Cass High) but can't afford to PAY teachers or expenses to expand the education of our youth?!?! Does anyone care about the students any more??

Give me a break!!! Judge Carey Nelson is Davis Nelson's cousin - do you really think this case will get a fair hearing. Carey Nelson should be disqualified from this issue!

This is stupid!!! Seems to be some sort of set up. Why wasnt this addressed in Feb?

Oh, yes, j green, it has been addressed since February, many time and many places, but this is the first time the citizens have used the power left them by their forefathers that doesn't include the 2nd Amendment. Let's see how it works. - Paul (the only people's judge east of the Pecos)

Paul, Carey Nelson will not want to embarrass cousin Davis Nelson by kicking Anna off the board. I hope you guys are prepared to appeal to a higher court.

Katherine: If you are so worried about what is going to happen and if Judge Nelson will let his relationship to Davis Nelson interfere with his judicial duty to rule on this case, then why doesn't everyone who cares so much about our children here in Bartow step up to the plate and get involved and demand that our Board of Education stop violating laws that have been passed and enacted since 2003 concerning how to fill vacancies on the Board. Talking is cheap, but action takes courage.

Let's see - what's a nice way to say this? Oh yeah - "Grow the heck up"! Smoke and mirror politics at it's best. I don't know Ms. Sullivan, but I can't believe anyone would purposely get involved with something like this...There are bigger issues brewing, but let's bring up something to take the focus off of it. Anyone hear of the legislation passed this year and awaiting the people's vote to allow the state more control over local schools - the "charter school" amendment? And who knows what else the state has done that is just waiting to bite us...

I am not being sarcastic or devil advocates, I really want an explanation. How is this negatively affecting the children exactly?

Sam, when adults - especially those elected to lead our school system, deliberately flaunt the law and do what they want, what message is that sending to our children? And Gail I am working on this issue - just having to do it quietly. My aunt works for the system and I can't afford to put her job in jeopardy.

Paul, first, you admitted you dropped out of law school and are a self appointed judge, so how about dropping the false title of judge from your posts. Second, this case is about Ms. Sullivan, not your wife. Please leave your wife's issues out of this.

Instead of being "Monday Morning Quarterbacks about this case because we want our local, State and Federal government to follow our Constitutions (State and Federal), you should stop and think what really is going on in our local Bartow Board of Education. Do you come to the meetings every month? Do you want the Board to continue to violate the rule of law, as well as have an illegal appointment sitting on the Board? Did you know, that it only takes 3 votes to have a Teacher fired by the Board, and they don't have to say why? It can be based just on their OPINION??? If so, then I fully understand why you don't speak up. However, as a citizen of Bartow County and as a Patriot and a taxpayer, I have a perfect right to question the legality of their actions. When you remain silent, you allow your government officials to rule you. Keep in mind they work for us, not the other way around.

When any citizen believes that their elected officials are not being honest, or being good stewards of public monies, they should feel an obligation to come forward and be heard. I thank those that do

Wow, Gail you are not a smart as you want people to think you are. Have you forgotten or do you even know that our great state of Georgia is a Right to Work State and that the individual really has no rights when it comes to being fired? Sure, there are steps and a process that should be followed but in the end, it is just a formality. An employee can be terminated for any reason or no reason at all. The only exception to this is if that employee has a valid contract of which each and every teacher in our school system holds. Unless there is a serious issue with that teacher, it is next to impossible to "fire" that teacher before the term of their contract is fulfilled. If said teacher is not tenured then the contract does not have to be renewed (at the end of the original contracted date) and it is even harder to terminate a tenured teacher. Please, if you are going to make comments about labor laws at least research them before you spout off.

Pete, state law was changed several years ago so that any school system employee who takes a job in administration (principal, asst. principal, central office admin, etc.) can be demoted or terminated at will. They give up tenure.

My family is new to north GA, we have lived here for one year. I would love to point out that this is an extremely petty argument. My children attended a great school with outstanding teachers this year in Bartow County. Also, we met the sherriff at the end of the school year at the DARE program at the school and thought he came across as a caring and competent leader. To the people who are suing the board member for filling the seat and devoting her time to our children, all you are doing is scaring off would-be voters and potential home-buyers in this lovely community with your pettiness. Good job! America doesn't have enough bad things to change without picking on nonsense, right?

Momof4, so instead of criticizing the board members who deliberately violated the law by illegally appointing Anna Sullivan to the board, you blame the people who have spoken out about it. Wow, I'd hate to visit you house. I bet all your dust and dirt just gets swept under the rug.

I just have to point out that asking elected officials to follow the law is never, ever a petty argument.

When we allow people to violate the law just because they are such nice people, we are no longer the nation our Founders imagined.

Nice people and good teachers aside, we have to expect better out of our leaders. Momof4, because you are new here, you probably don't know about why the law was changed in the first place. The same thing happened back around 2001, in the same district, only then it was legal to appoint. The lady that was elected resigned after less than a year and the board appointed someone to finish the term. Though it was legal at the time, residents of that district were understandably upset that the board did not instead have a special election, so they felt disenfranchised for 3 1/2 years. There was such an outcry that the law was changed in 2003. In 2004, the board member from Post 3 resigned, and a special election was held to finish the last 2 years of the term. If functioned just the way it was supposed to function. I am sure everyone just forgot about the law change, but we must follow the law nonetheless.

While this may seem like a minor matter, no one benefits in the long run. Think of it this way: if your congressman had to resign, would you like it if Congress illegally just replaced your rep for you and then told you to let it go if you asked them to have an election instead?

I'd also like to add that it should not take a lawsuit to get the board to follow the law. This should have been fixed as soon as the board was made aware of it, either by the board rescinding the appointment or by the lady stepping aside until the special election. Our nation is in real trouble if a majority of people are willing to overlook obvious violations of the law by our elected officials just because things are going well and they are nice people.

The people in Adairsville and Kingston need to remember this in July and not reelect Anna Sullivan. By refusing to step aside after being informed of her illegal appointment, she is now just as guilty as the board

Katherine- I hope they all remember it as well. I hope they remember that a good person is being intimidated due to no fault of her own. Say what you will about the board or it's "representation"that interpreted this law, but to attack Ms. Sullivan is out of line in my opinion. Of course, I dont claim to be a judge and I dont understand the law. I do understand that the people of Adairsville and Kingston should have the right to select who is their board representitive and it would be a shame that a few in the county are hoping to have her removed from the ballot. Wonder why? Again, call the board out if you want, but the personal attack willl backfire. She's a good lady who genuinely cares about kids and the people in Adairsville know it!