ST. LOUIS, Aug. 20 (UPI) -- The U.S. Army discharged Pvt. Hillary J. Poole to settle a suit in the wake of enlistment form findings by a handwriting expert, court documents say.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch said Thursday that after a handwriting expert determined that Poole's father Thomas did not sign an enlistment permission form, the Army released the 18-year-old recruit.
Army Recruiting Command spokesman Doug Smith insisted the armed forces wing released Poole because she did not have full parental consent when she enlisted at age 17.
"That's the bottom line," Smith said.
Poole's parents alleged in a lawsuit that a New York recruiter urged Poole's mother Kristeen to forge her husband's signature on their daughter's enlistment forms.
The lawsuit, which was settled by the Army's release of the couple's daughter, also alleged the recruiter tricked Poole's mother into thinking the signed forms were only for an overnight evaluation and not full enlistment.
Smith told the Post-Dispatch the allegations against the recruiter, identified as Sgt. William Dillman, were being investigated.
