Woman, 28, Dupes High School as Fake 16-Year-Old for Benefits

When Kacy Claassen walked into Westchester Square Academy in the Bronx last month under the alias Shamara Rashad, complete with a fake birth year of 2010 and a fabricated backstory about moving from Ohio, she thought she’d pulled off the perfect scheme. For two weeks, she actually got away with it—attending classes, earning a school ID with her fictional name, blending in among actual teenagers. The catch? She never once thought to delete her social media.

This is where the plan spectacularly unraveled. Faculty members discovered her public Instagram and Facebook profiles, both clearly showing a birth date of July 29, 1997, plus photos of her holding an infant daughter and posts proudly describing her as a mother. One lie doesn’t live alone, and soon the whole charade fell apart. When confronted, Claassen admitted the truth: a friend had advised her to enroll so she could qualify for more social assistance.

Here’s what makes this story both bizarre and troubling. This wasn’t some starry-eyed nostalgia trip or an identity crisis—it was allegedly a calculated attempt to defraud benefits programs. Yet the execution was so sloppy that any five-minute social media search would expose her. The 28-year-old was arrested and charged with endangering the welfare of a child, trespassing, and criminal impersonation, charges to which she pleaded not guilty. She’s due back in court on June 15.

What’s equally wild is that this isn’t even the first time we’ve seen an adult pull this stunt. A few years back, another 29-year-old woman enrolled in high school specifically to relive her glory days—at least she had nostalgia as an excuse. Claassen’s motivation was murkier and arguably more cynical. The school system conducted its due diligence, but the real question lingers: how do we prevent adults from exploiting educational and social systems designed to protect vulnerable minors? And more immediately, what happens when someone’s desperation meets such staggering carelessness?