A 32-year old woman from the state of New York faces felony charges after she managed to enroll and attend classes in school in the Catskill Mountains posing as a 15-year old teen.
Michaelann Goodrich presented herself to the school authorities on December 19, under the name of Riley Madison. She attended classes for one day at Cairo-Durham High School, a roughly 45 minute drive from the state capital of Albany.
"The regulation exists to ensure that students who are runaway or abducted youth get into an accountable, safe environment as quickly as possible," Taibi told reporters. "It has worked well, but this situation highlights a vulnerability that exists."
The school contacted the local sheriff to initiate an investigation; in the meantime, Goodrich continued to attend classes, ride a school bus and eat a school lunch until December 21, when the holiday break began.
"We made sure that under no circumstances was she not under the supervision of a staff member," Taibi said.
On December 28, Goodrich was charged with offering a false instrument for filing, falsifying business records and criminal trespassing.
She was released from jail after appearing in a court Thursday evening, to await further court action.
Greene County Sheriff's Investigator Joel Rowell said Goodrich had no explanation for her actions.
"She didn't have an explanation," Rowell said. "That's why we're reaching out to parents of kids who were with her in school or on the bus to find out what their interactions were, so we can try to determine her motive."
