A 28-year-old Bronx woman who police say slipped into Herbert H. Lehman High School by posing as a teenager is now facing a stack of charges after her cover story unraveled inside the building. Officers arrested Kacy Claassen just after noon on April 27, following a 911 call reporting possible identity theft. Authorities say she used another student’s identity to enroll and is charged with endangering the welfare of a child, criminal impersonation, possession of a forged instrument and criminal trespassing.
How the school became aware
According to News 12 Bronx, an anonymous caller with ties to the school told reporters that Claassen enrolled after spring break using the identity of a 16-year-old student and was allowed to register without a parent on hand. The caller said Claassen wore a school uniform and made some students uneasy, until one student flagged administrators about the situation. News 12 Bronx reports she was arraigned on April 28 and pleaded not guilty to criminal impersonation and trespassing, according to court paperwork.
How enrollment checks are supposed to work
The NYC Department of Education says families are required to provide identification and key documents when registering students, and the system offers in-person help through its Family Welcome Centers. The DOE’s NYC Public Schools guidance lays out acceptable paperwork, such as a birth certificate or passport and two proofs of address, and the NYC Public Schools site explains how families can submit records and get help with the process. The department’s instructions also spell out special enrollment procedures for students in temporary housing under the McKinney‑Vento Act.
Charges and court status
Police say Claassen was taken into custody at the Lehman campus, and investigators are now looking at how she was able to get through the registration process in the first place. News 12 Bronx reported the arrest followed a 911 call from someone connected to the school, and that prosecutors brought the impersonation and forgery-related counts. Claassen pleaded not guilty at her arraignment and is due back in Bronx court as the case continues.
What the charges mean under state law
Under New York law, criminal impersonation falls under Penal Law Article 190, while forgery and possession of a forged instrument are covered in Article 170. The exact level of the charges, and any potential penalties, depends on the details of the alleged conduct and the type of documents involved. The state’s Criminal Jury Instructions outline what prosecutors must prove for both criminal impersonation and criminal possession of a forged instrument, and convictions can range from misdemeanors to felonies. For more detail, see the New York Courts guidance for Penal Law Article 190 and the New York Courts materials for Article 170.
News 12 Bronx said it reached out to the Department of Education for comment and was awaiting a response. Officials have not released further details about the investigation, which remains active, and the school community is reported to be cooperating with authorities.
