NYC educator faked daughter’s death so she could take a longer vacay
Joan Barnett, 58, a parent coordinator at NYC’s High School of Hospitality and Management, forged a death certificate for her daughter and faxed it to her boss so she could extend her trip to Costa Rica, according to a report on the incident by the Commissioner of Investigation. The Associated Press reports:
[S]omeone who said she was Barnett's daughter called the school on March 19, 2010, and said her sister in Costa Rica was very sick.
Later that day, the report said, another supposed daughter of Barnett's called and said her sister had suffered a heart attack and died. She said relatives were gathering in Costa Rica.
Barnett faxed the school a death certificate April 8, the report said.
School officials were suspicious because it had different, misaligned fonts. A Costa Rican government official later confirmed the document was a fake, noting that the death certificate had been issued in 2005.
In addition to being fired, Barnett was sentenced to 10 days' community service after she pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor forgery charge.
As Barnett refused to speak to investigators, they have no idea whether the “dead daughter” really existed.
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