New York City Police said a 28-year-old woman pretended to be a 16-year-old girl and attended classes at a high school in the Bronx for two weeks before she was exposed and arrested by the principal due to discrepancies in her Facebook profile.
The woman, Kacy Claassen, registered under the false name “Shamara Rashad” last month at Westchester Square Academy in the Bronx, claiming she was born in 2010 and was only 16 years old, having recently moved to New York City with her sister from Ohio.
According to the criminal charges filed by the police, Claassen not only successfully completed the enrollment process but also obtained a student ID, attending classes at the school under false pretenses for two weeks.
However, the school soon grew suspicious. The principal confronted her with a screenshot of her Facebook page showing her true identity and age. Claassen later admitted to lying, saying a friend encouraged her to enroll in order to receive more public welfare benefits.
She was arrested on campus by the police on April 27 and is currently facing charges of endangering the welfare of a child, trespassing, and criminal impersonation. Claassen has denied all charges and is scheduled to appear in court again on June 15.
The New York City public school system issued a statement saying, “Admission fraud is a serious crime that fundamentally undermines the values of New York City public schools.”