A Cherokee County School Board member was fined thousands of dollars by her peers Wednesday night after they found she violated board policy by asking the district's accrediting agency to investigate her allegations of wrongdoing.

Described by her constituents as a rogue and an upstart, Board Member Kelly Marlow admitted sending a letter to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, asking the accrediting organization to investigate the Cherokee County School District.

"Is it the messenger in violation or is it what has been done wrong?" Marlow asked as she was questioned by school board attorney Tom Roach.

That was the central question at last night's ethics hearing, where Marlow was publicly humiliated for breaking ranks with her fellow school board members, then made to pay for her transgression.

"All those in favor of $3,600," said Chairwoman Janet Read, calling Marlow's punishment to a vote of the board. That vote passed, five-two.

But Marlow's attorney, her own brother, J. Tom Salata, called this a dangerous precedent.

"What was stated here today was that, if you send a letter, you've violated an ethics policy. And I can't wrap my mind around that," he said after the meeting.

Even some of Marlow's fellow school board members seemed to have trouble with that notion.

"I'm not condoning what Ms. Marlow did," said board member Michael Geist. "I reacted pretty strongly. But are we selectively applying this ethics policy?"

Even after convicting Marlow of two ethics violations tied to her request that SACS investigate the school board, it took her fellow board members several attempts to decide how she should be punished. Options ranged from no fine to a payment of $6,200. In the end, board members voted to fine Marlow $3,600.

"SACS needs to know that we're policing ourselves," said Board Chairwoman Janet Read.

Salata promised this would not be the end of the dispute. He vowed to appeal the board's decision in a move that could ultimately land the case in court.

The message his sister got from the board, Salata, said, was: "If you say something we don't like, you can be censured and then made to pay the cost of the tribunal."