A 28-year-old woman allegedly spent nearly two weeks posing as a teenage student at a Bronx high school before a suspicious principal confronted her with a Facebook profile exposing her real identity.
Authorities accused Kacy Claassen of enrolling at Westchester Square Academy in New York City while pretending to be a 16-year-old girl named Shamara Rashad.
The deception unraveled after school officials began questioning inconsistencies surrounding her identity and eventually discovered social media accounts allegedly linked to Claassen.
According to a criminal complaint, Claassen enrolled at the school April 13 using the false identity.
Police said the situation escalated April 27 when NYPD officers responded to the campus over possible identity theft allegations.
Investigators said principal Marques Rich became increasingly suspicious after locating a Facebook page that appeared to belong to Claassen and displayed both her real name and actual age.
When Rich confronted her, Claassen allegedly insisted she truly was Shamara Rashad and claimed she had recently moved to New York from Ohio with her sister.
But prosecutors said the principal continued pressing her and eventually showed her screenshots from the social media profile.
According to the complaint, Claassen then admitted she had fabricated the identity.
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Police said she claimed a friend “forced” her into the scheme and “was using me to receive more public assistance.”
The Facebook page allegedly linked to Claassen listed her hometown as Hays, Kansas and referenced a “beautiful daughter.”
The bizarre case rattled students and staff across the shared Bronx campus.
According to Bronx River News, the student newspaper for nearby Bronx River High School, the campus was temporarily placed on lockdown the day Claassen was arrested.
Students reportedly grew uneasy around the woman even before administrators exposed her identity.
The outlet reported some students claimed Claassen made disturbing comments about “hiding bodies,” leaving several teenagers uncomfortable.
Claassen was arrested and charged with criminal impersonation and trespassing.
Court records showed she pleaded not guilty during an April 28 court appearance.
She was released on her own recognizance and is expected back in court in June.
New York City Public Schools later issued a statement condemning the alleged deception.
“Enrollment fraud is a serious crime that fundamentally undermines New York City Public School values,” the statement said.
“The NYPD is actively investigating these allegations and will pursue all appropriate legal action against those responsible.”
Years before the Bronx arrest, Claassen publicly wrote about severe mental health struggles.
In a 2018 blog post published on mental health advocate Anne Moss Rogers’ website, Claassen described multiple suicide attempts, depression, anorexia, and years spent in psychiatric treatment.
“I was anorexic,” Claassen wrote. “My parents wont even let me get a job. They wont even let me move out on my own.”
She also claimed she spent three years inside a psychiatric hospital in Wisconsin.
The New York case was one of several recent incidents involving adults accused of posing as teenagers to gain access to public schools.
In Minnesota, authorities said a 22-year-old man enrolled at White Bear Lake Area High School while allegedly pretending to be a 17-year-old student.
Prosecutors charged Kelvin Micaiah Luebke with multiple felony forgery offenses after investigators said he used fraudulent documents to enroll under a false identity.
According to the criminal complaint, police launched an investigation in September 2025 after receiving reports that an adult may have been attending the school.
Authorities alleged Luebke enrolled using the name “Kelvin Ciatte Perry, Jr.” and submitted a foreign birth certificate listing a 2007 birth year.
Investigators later compared the documents to official records including a Minnesota driver’s license, passport, and birth certificate.
Police concluded his actual birth date was May 30, 2003.
According to prosecutors, Luebke later admitted possessing both a U.S. and Liberian birth certificate showing different ages.
He allegedly told investigators relatives in Africa were uncertain about his exact age at the time of his adoption.
Court documents said Luebke claimed his biological father helped obtain the Liberian birth certificate under the alternate identity.
Investigators alleged he used those records to enroll as an unaccompanied homeless minor under protections provided by the federal McKinney-Vento Act.
Authorities said Luebke previously attended another Minnesota high school before leaving after a fight.
His father reportedly told investigators he had actually been expelled over behavioral problems.
A judge later issued a bench warrant after Luebke failed to appear for a scheduled court hearing.
Authorities said he remained wanted as of last month.
In Ohio, another man accused of posing as a teenager inside a public high school was sentenced to prison after pleading guilty in a case that also involved sex offender registration.
Anthony Emmanuel Labrador-Sierra, a Venezuelan national accused of posing as a teenage student at Perrysburg High School, received an indefinite prison sentence of four to six years.
Court records showed Labrador-Sierra pleaded guilty to forgery and pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor.
Investigators alleged he submitted fake enrollment documents, including a fraudulent birth certificate, while claiming to be a 16-year-old Venezuelan immigrant.
Authorities later determined he was actually in his mid-20s.
According to investigators, Labrador-Sierra first contacted Perrysburg Schools in November 2023 seeking enrollment.
Police said he claimed he was homeless, had been trafficked, and needed assistance.
He later attended the school for more than a year, participating in activities including the swim team and junior varsity soccer.
Following sentencing, the court ordered Labrador-Sierra to register as a Tier II sex offender.
The prison sentence will run concurrently with penalties tied to a separate federal firearms and false-document case.
The Ohio judge also concluded prison was necessary to deter future criminal conduct.
Additional state charges against Labrador-Sierra remained pending.
