Woman Enrolled in High School Posing as Homeless Teen

A New York woman is facing criminal charges for allegations that she enrolled in and attended a high school, gaining access by telling the administration she was a homeless teenager.

In mid-December, an enrollee showed up at the Cairo-Durham School District office and disclosed that she was a homeless 15-year-old who was not currently attending school. She allegedly stated that her name was Riley Madison.

The student was immediately assigned a school and transportation services within the district based on the McKinney-Vento Act. This federally recognized assistance act ensures that children without stable living conditions are granted access to public education even if they don’t have the typical documentation required for registration.

The following day the girl reportedly boarded the bus with the other high schoolers and went to her scheduled classes.

It was reported that the school staff became suspicious and decided to involve the authorities to investigate the situation.

After looking into the known details the authorities suspected that the identity of the student was 32-year-old Michaelann Goodrich, a woman who already has a high school diploma.

On December 28, Goodrich was arrested and booked into Greene County jail. She is facing charges for suspicion of felony offering false information for filing, felony falsifying business records, and misdemeanor criminal trespassing.

If you or someone you love is suspected of a crime, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.