Hyejeong Shin, a 29-year-old New Brunswick resident, was charged with providing false documents in her attempt to enroll as a student in a New Jersey high school.
Shin provided a false birth certificate to the New Brunswick Board of Education. While it’s not clear why she tried to enroll at the school, students say she attended class and was at the school for four days, News 12 New Jersey reported.
New Jersey
Once officials realized she wasn’t supposed to be there, she was banned from district property.
“She was pretending to be a freshman, which is more surprising because I don’t believe she looks like a freshman,” one student at New Brunswick High School told the station. Another student said that Shin sent text messages to several classmates asking them to “hang out.”
“Some of the girls I know, the girl did ask them to hang out at Commercial Avenue, but they never showed up, and she started acting weird with them,” the student said. “It’s scary because you never know what could happen.”
“To know that a person with that intention was that close to me is even scarier,” sophomore Rihanna Colon told the news station.
Multiple protests were also held on campus to demand better school security. According to those protesting, the school is plagued with fights and other safety concerns.
The mother of a senior said she was worried about the situation and asked how Shin was able to successfully enroll and attend classes without staff and security knowing her exact age. While a police investigation is underway, the school superintendent reportedly said that administrators will review their enrollment process and determine ways to better identify false documents.
New Brunswick
Likewise, New Brunswick Schools Superintendent Aubrey Johnson discussed the situation at a school board meeting Tuesday night.
Johnson said the district would be reviewing its enrollment process to avoid anything like this from happening again, NJ.com reported.
“All appropriate authorities were notified, and the individual in question has been arrested,” Johnson reportedly said.
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