Start High School's boys basketball coach is on paid administrative leave after he was arrested Sunday for an alleged check counterfeiting incident that occurred over the summer.
Matthew Wortham, 36, who is also a long-term substitute teacher for Toledo Public Schools, faces a fourth-degree felony counterfeiting charge, Sylvania Municipal Court records state. Lucas County jail records say he was arrested early Sunday morning by the Ohio State Highway Patrol. He was released Monday afternoon.
A Sylvania Township police report says police started investigating in late August when a woman reported mailing a nearly $38,000 check to Paulding County Hospital that never arrived. The woman's bank told her the check had been cashed, however.
After the woman received a copy of the check, it appeared a counterfeit of the original had been made, the report said, and it was made payable to Dres Housing LLC, of Toledo. Police wrote that the back of the check had Mr. Wortham's signature. He is also the principal agent of Dres Housing, according to the Ohio Secretary of State.
The same day, an officer talked with Mr. Wortham, who said he wanted to meet in person and discuss the issue, as "he is a school teacher and a coach," the report said. But police wrote he never followed up and weeks later he still could not be reached. Police said they later confirmed the bank account where the check had been cashed belonged to Dres Housing, and a phone number affiliated with the account was the same that officers had used to reach Mr. Wortham.
A criminal complaint was filed and an arrest warrant was issued in mid-October, courts records state. Additional details about the status of Mr. Wortham's case were not immediately available on Monday.
Patty Mazur, a TPS spokesman, confirmed Mr. Wortham had been placed on paid leave "due to an alleged violation of Board policy and unprofessional conduct." She said he will remain on leave pending the outcome of a district investigation. She declined to comment further, citing personnel issues.
Mr. Wortham has been coaching at Start since the 2014-2015 school year, Ms. Mazur said, and has been a substitute with the district since 2021.
The Blade left a message Monday afternoon with Mr. Wortham seeking comment.
Since taking the Start varsity post in 2016-17, Wortham has been the City League’s undisputed top coach, and one of the most successful in northwest Ohio.
His Spartans teams have gone 126-42 overall, 60-12 in league play, and won five of the past City League championships, including the last three in a row.
Wortham’s 2018-19 (22-4 record) and 2019-20 (21-5) teams each reached the Division I regional semifinals, losing close games to powerhouse Lima Senior both years. Start has opened the current season at 2-2 and 1-1 in league play.
First Published December 11, 2023, 9:55 p.m.
