Dear Parents and Community Members,
Most of you have heard an impostor was able to lie and con his way into our school. First, let me say for the record, the school has a responsibility to keep kids safe while under our charge. Secondly, there has been no attempt to cover up any detail of what occurred. Finally, we promptly reported the incident to law enforcement and have fully cooperated during the investigation.
On December 6, 2015, Mr. Graham was informed arrangements were made for Senator Burke to speak to a high school American Government Class taught by Mr. Stobbs. The visit was scheduled for January 14, 2016. On Sunday, December 13, 2015, Mr. Stobbs was contacted via Facebook Messenger by a person purporting to be a legislative aide with the office of Senator Burke. The aide stated Senator Burke had resigned due to illness and Mr. Akins would be sworn in on Monday, making him the youngest State Senator in Ohio History. The aide was requesting to reschedule the visit to Tuesday December 15, 2015. Mr. Stobbs and Mr. Graham approved this change. A complete transcript of the electronic correspondence between Mr. Stobbs and Mr. Akins (or his coconspirators) is available here.
Mr. Akins misrepresented himself to the Wyandot Sheriff’s Department by requesting a police escort stating there was controversy with his appointment. He called Reineke Ford and requested a vehicle with a driver. He used the relationships between these entities whom verified the visit between one another to add legitimacy to his deception.
On the day of his scheduled arrival, Deputy Travis Yeater was on duty in our building. Mr. Akins arrived at 1:00pm as scheduled. He was accompanied by two women whom he introduced as his aides. He also introduced his driver who had been provided by Reineke Ford along with a vehicle. Mr. Akins signed in using his real name. Mr. Graham and Mr. Stobbs stated they had no indication this person was misrepresenting himself.
Impersonating a police officer or governmental official is a felony. It is a serious crime because people respect the position of authority and comply with requests. Mr. Akins was given a tour of the building and spoke to Mr. Stobbs’ American Government class. By all accounts, the presentation, although not “polished”, was what one might expect from a young, inexperienced, and newly appointed Senator. Mr. Akins departed at the end of the day with no one realizing a deception had taken place.
On Thursday, January 14, 2016, a month after Mr. Akins’ visit, Senator Burke arrived as scheduled. At this time Mr. Graham, Mr. Stobbs, Senator Burke, Sheriff Hetzel, Reineke Ford, and students realized that they had been duped. The incident was reported to me at the end of the business day. I directed the principals to thoroughly vet any individual seeking access to our building and students. Visitors and guests are to be scrutinized through independent research and verification of their identity and purpose.
Local and state law enforcement agencies, in cooperation with Senators Burke's office and the school, began an investigation. Mr. Graham was updated periodically as the investigation unfolded. The investigation found that Mr. Akins has two cousins who attend Mohawk. One cousin described her relationship with Akins as “close”. Mr. Akins was found to have no criminal record. Mr. Akins informed the detective that his impersonating a government official was done for the adrenaline rush, it was his “high”. Mr. Akins also referenced himself as a compulsive liar. Law enforcement officials did not believe that Mr. Akins was an imminent threat to students and staff. Mr. Graham informed all of the High School and Junior High Staff of the deception on January 20, 2016. I directed Mr. Graham to respond to all inquiries from parents or community members with the facts and to inform them the investigation is ongoing. At this point, Mr. Graham pressed charges against Mr. Akins.
Mr. Akins was charged with two felonies; telecommunications fraud and impersonating a government official. My first indication Mr. Akins had been arrested was a voicemail received on the evening of February 16, 2016. I forwarded the voicemail to Mr. Graham and advised him to contact the reporter who was with the Daily-Chief Union. Subsequent to his arrest, I have responded to all media requests for information and have made every attempt to fully disclose the details.
As superintendent, I am still asking questions and requesting information about what transpired so that policy, procedure, or personnel concerns can be addressed in the proper manner.
Security and student safety is always the top priority. We all love our way of life in small town America and our rural school district, but tough decisions have to be made with regards to security procedures, personnel and equipment. In addition to budget constraints, we must also be mindful of what we want our schools to look like. What liberties are we willing to sacrifice? Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, vulnerabilities will always exist for those committed to perpetrating crimes or violence.
My door is always open. If you have questions or concerns, call to make an appointment with me. It is time to put this issue to rest and get back to our business of preparing students for their future in a safe but welcoming environment.
Sincerely,
Ken D. Ratliff, Superintendent
Mohawk Local School District