A 32-year-old woman was caught posing as a high school student in Boston. The elaborate charade came to light when she attempted to switch schools for the fourth time, drawing attention to her deceitful actions.
Boston woman, 32, pretended to be a teen at three high schools, cops say https://t.co/RXGyw0RcXe via @nypost
— Robert J Kingsbury (@RobertJKingsbu1) June 21, 2023
The woman, whose identity remains undisclosed, was exposed as an imposter after her supposed father, posing as a concerned parent, informed administrators at English High School that his daughter was being bullied. He stated that he would withdraw her from the school and enroll her at St. Columbkille School instead.
Given that she had enrolled at English High School just a week earlier, school officials reportedly suspected there was a custody issue between the parents.
A look into the student’s file revealed that the woman had used false identities to enroll at Jeremiah E. Burke High School and Brighton High School during the previous academic year.
Adding to the gravity of the situation, school authorities also discovered that the imposter had been employed as a social worker for the Department of Children and Families until February 2023, according to Boston outlet WCVB 5. Thankfully, there is currently no evidence of any harm or risk to the students involved, as confirmed by Boston Mayor Michelle Wu in her statement to WCVB 5.
However, the woman was ordered to keep out of Boston Public schools and is being investigated by police.
District Superintendent Mary Skipper, referred to the case as an “extremely sophisticated fraud.”
“I am deeply troubled that an adult would breach the trust of our school communities by posing as a student,” she stated.
Students who encountered the imposter at the school were also stunned by how the imposter was able to blend seamlessly among them such that they did not suspect anything was off. One student, speaking to WCVB 5, shared their disbelief, stating, “She definitely didn’t look 32. I wouldn’t have thought she was 32, but… dang, she was 32?!”
“I didn’t know she was 32…older than the teacher,” another student said.
Her exact motive for the pretense remains a mystery.
