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ONAWAY -- A Cheboygan County judge on Friday denied an appeal by Onaway Area Schools Board of Education Secretary Lorrie Kowalski, allowing a recall effort against her to move forward.
Backers of the recall can now begin collecting signatures in Cheboygan County to place the recall on the ballot following 53rd Circuit Court Judge Aaron Gauthier's Friday decision.
Three other Onaway school board trustees won their appeals on Thursday in Presque Isle County, invalidating those recall efforts.
Gauthier said during court proceedings on Friday that "most of Ms. Kowalski's grounds for appeal focus on whether the allegations in the recall petition are truthful, whether they're taken out of context, or whether they establish any wrongdoing."
He said the recall petition's language is clear enough to allow Kowalski to "defend herself in the court of public opinion."
Kowalski had also argued that the Cheboygan County Election Commission, which approved the recall petition language, had earlier rejected a recall proposal by the same sponsor and then gave the sponsor advice on properly proposing the petition to them for approval, which she believed was improper.
Gauthier said that the commission had the right to explain the reasons for its decision, the same way he explained why he rejected Kowalski's appeal.
On Thursday in Presque Isle County, Gauthier granted appeals by Onaway school board President James Rieger, Vice President Erin Chaskey, and Trustee John Palmer, reversing the decision of the Presque Isle County Election Committee and rendering the recall petitions against them invalid.
Stacey Porter, who filed all of the recall efforts, said Gauthier's Friday decision was "pretty good," but she's still stressed out because she wants to recall all four board members at the same time, which might take more time because of Thursday's successful appeals.
Porter said that, very soon after Gauthier nixed the recall efforts on Thursday, Porter refiled the recall petitions for the three board members in Presque Isle County, this time with clearer language that Porter hopes will stand up to any appeal.
Stacey Porter's mother, Annette Porter, is a trustee on the Onaway Board of Education.
Cheboygan County Clerk Karen Brewster said Porter needs to collect 708 valid signatures within 180 days. After 180 days, signatures become null.
Porter has not heard back from the Presque Isle County clerk about her latest recall petitions there, nor has she received any information about when the next clarity meeting will be held.
Rieger and Kowalski's term on the board ends on Dec. 31. Palmer's term ends on Dec. 31, 2026. Chaskey's ends on Dec. 31, 2028.