The guardian of two students in eastern Greene County is facing a charge of felony neglect and misdemeanor violations of the compulsory school attendance law for allegedly failing to make sure the students were in school and getting their work done. One student has missed over 51 days this school year, the other has missed over 61.

Lori J. Marling, 57, Solsberry, was booked into the Greene County Jail this morning, Thursday, April 29. Her bond was set at $5,000 surety with ten percent cash allowed. She posted $500, was given a court date and released.

Marling is facing charges of neglect of a dependent – defendant deprived dependent of education as required by law, a Level 6 felony, and two counts of compulsory school attendance violation, both counts are a Class B misdemeanor.

A warrant was issued for Marling’s arrest as a result of an investigation by Julie Criger, an investigator with the Greene County Prosecutor’s Office.

A family case manager from the Greene County Department of Child Services (DCS) was already looking into possible education neglect involving two students at Eastern Greene Elementary School in mid-November of 2020 when Criger was asked to assist. Since that time, Criger and family case managers have met with Marling and other family members numerous times before criminal charges were filed.

Marling is the grandmother and guardian of the two students. She first said the students had missed so much school due to doctor’s appointments, then said they were afraid of COVID, then said then didn’t have the money for wi-fi and later said a hotspot provided by the school did not work. By late November, she said they had gotten wi-fi and were working on getting the children’s late assignments caught up and submitted to the school.

In a probable cause affidavit prepared by Criger, she details the excuses for the children’s absences that were given by Marling over a period of months. The absences include e-learning days and in-class days of face-to-face learning. According to the affidavit, the students both failed to log-in or go to school, missed e-learning meetings, and failed to turn in their paperwork.

Criger documents that during the ongoing investigation, she and a DCS case manger had met with Marling on November 12, 24, 30, December 7 and 8, January 7, February 8, continuing into March and April.

During contacts with school personnel, teachers and counselors explained both students had already had to repeat a grade level, were failing in their work and falling behind. They also said some work that was turned in did not appear to have been completed in the student’s own handwriting.

Criger said the absences have continued and she reported that as of April 13, one of the students had missed 51.5 days of school this school year and the other student has missed 61.5 days.

Marling is scheduled to appear in Greene Superior Court for her initial hearing on Monday afternoon, May 10.