A 28-year-old woman allegedly pretended to be 16 years old and enrolled at a Bronx high school under a false identity, leading to her recent arrest by New York City police, officials confirmed.
Kacy Claassen pleaded not guilty on April 28 to charges of second-degree criminal impersonation and trespassing, one day after her arrest, according to Bronx court records. The case is reminiscent of plots from films such as the 1987 movie Hiding Out or the 1999 comedy Never Been Kissed.
A criminal complaint, first reported by WABC and the New York Post, alleges that Claassen enrolled at Westchester Square Academy on April 13, claiming her name was Shamara Rashad and that her date of birth was in 2010. She reportedly told the school principal that she had just moved from Ohio. However, police say the ruse collapsed when the school director confronted her with a social media page that revealed her true age and identity.
Investigators maintain that Claassen then confessed, stating that a friend had pressured her to lie so she could receive more public assistance. Police arrested her at the school. Court records indicate she was released without requiring a bond while the case proceeds.
A public defender listed for Claassen did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday. A spokesperson for New York City’s public school system issued a statement, calling enrollment fraud a serious crime that undermines the district’s values. The statement added that police are actively investigating and will pursue appropriate legal action, while providing support to the school community.
Claassen’s next court appearance is tentatively scheduled for June 15. Her arrest occurred just over 50 miles from a New Jersey high school where a 29-year-old woman was arrested in January 2023 on similar fraud allegations. In that case, Hyejeong Shin allegedly provided a fake birth certificate to enroll at New Brunswick High. She reportedly entered a pre-trial program for three years, required mental health testing, and paid fines.
Four years before Shin’s arrest, a man in his mid-20s gained admission to Dallas’s Hillcrest High School under a false name and became the star of the basketball team. Sidney Gilstrap-Portley was sentenced to six years’ probation after pleading guilty to records tampering and indecency involving sexual contact with a 14-year-old student, according to news reports.
