Perrysburg superintendent says 24-year-old arrested after enrolling as 16-year-old using forged documents

Tom Hassler, superintendent of Perrysburg Schools, said an individual who enrolled at Perrysburg High School in January 2024 claiming to be a 16-year-old unaccompanied minor is a 24-year-old charged with felony forgery. "We know now that this person is a 24 year old adult, charged with felony forgery," Hassler said.

Hassler said the district acted as soon as staff suspected the student had concealed his age: school officials met with the individual, did not permit him on school property while they investigated and contacted law enforcement. "Nothing is more important than the safety and security of our students," Hassler said.

The district said the individual used forged documents to obtain a Social Security number, an Ohio driver's license, temporary protected status and legal guardianship. Perrysburg Schools said those documents, plus information from the Wood County juvenile court and a guardian ad litem, led others involved to believe the person was a minor. Hassler said the individual later worked with an immigration attorney and was granted temporary protected status by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; that status produced additional documents that reinforced the student's apparent age.

Hassler referenced the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act in explaining the district's enrollment steps and said the district consulted legal counsel during the process. "Under the McKinney Vento Act ... schools are required to immediately enroll unaccompanied minors without requiring standard enrollment paperwork," he said, adding the district reviewed its enrollment process and concluded it followed federal law.

Hassler said Perrysburg Schools self-reported the situation and the Ohio High School Athletic Association confirmed the district followed procedures and faced no athletic penalties. He also said the student had participated in athletics.

The superintendent urged compassion for staff who believed they were helping a young person in need and said counselors are available for students who want to talk. He described the matter as an ongoing investigation and said the Perrysburg Police Division is working with federal partners and the Wood County Prosecutor's Office. Hassler provided the Perrysburg Police Division tip line, (419) 872-8001, for anyone with information.

The district statement included additional context: the school system regularly enrolls students from around the country and world, including "over a hundred international students in the last 3 years," and consulted counsel because of the case's complexity.

The investigation and related court and immigration steps remain active; Hassler did not provide additional details about charges beyond "felony forgery," and did not name the person involved.