What is the McKinney-Vento Act? Law at center of Perrysburg student case [Video]

PERRYSBURG, Ohio — When a person named “Anthony Labrador” enrolled at Perrysburg High School in January 2024, school officials say they followed federal guidelines outlined in the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act — a law designed to ensure homeless children and teens can enroll in school quickly, even if they lack documents like birth certificates, immunization records or legal guardianship.

Now, ‘Anthony Labrador’ is accused of forgery for allegedly claiming to be a 16-year-old boy at the time of his enrollment, when he’s actually a Venezuelan man in his 20s, according to police. 

Perrysburg Schools Superintendent Thomas Hosler said the man – who is currently booked in the Wood County jail under the name Anthony Emmanuel Labrador Sierra, identified himself as a 16-year-old unaccompanied minor. 

Under McKinney-Vento, schools are legally required to enroll such students immediately while working through missing documentation later. 

A trained McKinney-Vento liaison is required to assess eligibility …