MARIETTA - The mother spearheading the effort to oust Dr. John Crooks from the Cobb school board moved forward in the recall process Friday when 119 signatures were submitted to the Cobb Board of Elections.

Eastvalley Elementary School mom Carrie Welkis is among the neighbors who objected not simply to Crooks' push to erect a 150-foot cell tower at Eastvalley Elementary, but to the way he went about approving the tower.

"Specifically, Dr. John Crooks did not engage our community, as he promised regarding assessing the community support for the cell tower. He also lacked integrity and honesty by not keeping his word," she said.

Crooks declined to comment on the matter.

Welkis said it's important to note that the recall is about more than a cell tower. The charges against Crooks include intent to mislead the public, lack of constituency engagement, violating the Georgia Open Meetings Act and conduct unbecoming of an elected official.

"The recall is about the public speaking out and no longer tolerating special interests and political agendas prevailing over the greater good of our society," she said.

There are a number of steps in the recall process. After garnering the 100 required signatures, there is a court hearing, followed by the requirement of obtaining signatures from 30 percent of the active voters in Post 6, which Welkis estimates at 14,000.

"Sharon Dunn (director of the Cobb Board of Elections) stated the Board of Elections has five days to verify the signatures and John Crooks has four days to file for a hearing in Superior Court to appeal the grounds for recall. I would expect to hear from either or both parties by the end of next week. I am sure Dr. Crooks will try to contest the grounds," she said.

Dunn said a recall is an "infrequent practice" in her experience.

"We have never had one successfully conducted in my 31 years here. To the best of my recollection, in the last five, maybe eight years, we have had one, maybe two petitions filed for verification, but none have ever been verified as valid; therefore, a recall election has never been called," Dunn said.

But Welkis says if California voters can recall Gov. Gray Davis, as they did in 2003, east Cobb voters can recall Crooks.

"I am personally very motivated by the events of the past few weeks. I have had hundreds of people reach out to me, personally, offering their support to the campaign as well as identifying with our cause. We are gaining more momentum every day," she said.

Welkis has received some criticism from anonymous commenters, but she says it doesn't bother her.

"Criticism never bothered me too much; there is no personal gain in this for me and deep down I know I have a moral responsibility to do this. This is about our community and our right to be treated fairly, in an open an honest governance," she said.

Accompanying Welkis to the elections office Friday was Carolyn Warner, a grandmother who lives next to Eastvalley. Warner said Welkis is not alone in the effort.

"I want Dr. Crooks to know that we as the citizens of his district will no longer be silent," Warner said.

"The position of Cobb County school board member should be one of integrity. Dr. Crooks lied to me and others in my neighborhood. Then tried to deceive us by not placing the cell tower on the published agenda. This type of leadership will no longer be tolerated," Warner said.