Woman poses as child for days at NJ school

A woman has been arrested after posing as a teen to enroll at New Brunswick High School in central New Jersey.  She attended classes for several days until the ruse was uncovered.

The incident was announced by the New Brunswick Police Department.

Police say a woman identified as Hyejeong Shin, 29, of New Brunswick, used a fake birth certificate to enroll at the school.

Under New Jersey statutes, schools are required to immediately enroll unaccompanied children. Proof of guardianship is not necessary to immediately enroll an unaccompanied child.

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Shin is charged with providing a false government document with the intent to verify one’s identity or age. This charge is a third-degree offense.

Superintendent Aubrey Jonson told the Board of Education that she attended classes for 4 days earlier this month.

The New Brunswick Today reported that Shin had claimed to be 15 years old when she enrolled.  Things fell apart when she apparently tried to sign herself out of school early one day. When told students could not sign themselves out she told them she was 29 years old.

Several students attended a school board meeting this week to raise concerns about the incident, but they were not allowed to speak because they had not pre-registered to talk.

The Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office has not commented on the case.