Super Duper Perp!
 

I don't post often, but I just had to pass this on. Here's the actual link to the article:

http://dailynews.philly.com/content/...al/LIAR24C.htm

She wormed into school with fake degree


By THERESA CONROY
conroyt@phillynews.com

Carolyn Reid never even went to college, yet she passed herself off as a certified teacher at a respected Philadelphia private school.

Reid pulled off the fraud so well that she eventually became assistant principal of the Ivy Leaf Middle School in Oak Lane.

Her fake college degree also provided Reid's entry into the esteemed Delta Sigma Theta sorority. She eventually served as president of the sorority's Quaker City Alumnae Chapter.

Her lies were revealed - and punished - yesterday when a Municipal Court judge found Reid guilty of illegal use of a professional title.

"This is a very serious matter, Miss Reid," said Municipal Judge Ronald B. Merriweather. "You know, kids have a tough enough time as it is, especially inner city kids, and for someone - you included - to be part of a fraud, this court finds very offensive. In my opinion, you should go to jail."

Merriweather sentenced Reid instead to 100 hours of community service and three months' probation.

Reid pulled the scheme by passing off someone else's teaching certificate as her own, said Deputy state Attorney General Marc Costanza, who prosecuted the case.

The fraud came to light when Ivy Leaf officials, applying for routine recertification, learned from the state Department of Education that Reid's qualifications were bogus.

Reid had nothing more than a high school diploma from Simon Gratz High School.

"I wasn't aware until we were confronted with the situation, and we handled it by terminating the employee as we were instructed to do," Ivy Leaf director Renee Brooks said yesterday in a telephone interview. "We did what we were supposed to do to continue with the reputation of the school."

Brooks said Reid, who was hired as a teacher in 1998 and terminated in 2000, had been assistant principal for a year-and-a- half.

At least a dozen Delta sorority sisters attended Reid's brief trial yesterday, but declined to discuss her fraudulent association with the organization.

"In order to be a Delta, you have to have gone to college. As the judge just proved, she's never been to college, so she's never been a part of our organization," said Quaker City chapter president Leslie Cousins.

Merriweather, who said he was familiar with the school and the sorority, told Reid she should be ashamed of tainting the integrity of both groups.

"You've impacted on a number of people and a number of organizations," Merriweather said. "You've brought shame. . .I hope, as your lawyer says, you feel the shame."

Reid, who has three daughters, told the judge she was sorry for lying to the students and adminstrators of Ivy Leaf school.

"I'd like to make an apology for what I did," Reid said in a soft voice. "I know that it was wrong and I didn't want to do anything but just move on."

Ivy Leaf, which has 760 students, is the city's oldest African-American school. *

How the hell did she get away w/ that???
 

Whoa. That is out of control. A background check should have been performed on that woman the moment she applied for that position, as should any person applying for a major job like that. IMO, community service and probation wasn't enough. She should have been sent to jail for at least 18 month. I am trippin' hard over the fact she had the nerve to say she was a Delta to add to her "accomplishments." Wow.

Holy moley. My aunt, a Delta who lives in the Philadelphia suburb of Germantown, may know this woman.

:eek: :confused:

NO WAY IN HAAAAADES
 

First of all she would have done some time. You Do the crime you are going to do some time. HOW ARE YOU GOING TO LIVE THAT BIG OF A LIE!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am LIIIIIIVID!!

Community service doing what monitoring LIE DETECTOR TESTS!?!?!?!!?:mad: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :confused:

Re: NO WAY IN HAAAAADES
 

Livid is what I'm feeling as well! If there are any lawyers checkin' in, can you please explain to me how she gets away with such a light sentence? Can Delta sue her for mis-representation? She stole someone's identity and I would think that, in and of itself, would get her some jail time. :mad:

Re: Re: NO WAY IN HAAAAADES
 

Well, Sorors, it is sad to say that the reality of the American Legal system is that she got the sentence I would have expected. (I am an attorney BTW) Truth be told, that if she was a first time offender with no criminal record for a non violent crime she was not going to actually go to jail. From the article it is not clear if she really stole an identity or if she fraudulently used someone else's teaching certificate (as opposed to their name, ssn, etc.) so there may not be an identity theft case lurking in there. BUT I do not see how she succeeded in providing transcripts to Quaker City if she DID NOT GO TO SCHOOL. We had to send certified sealed copies from the university, mailed to the chapter. Did she successfully fake them or what? I am truly disheartened. She was chapter president for heaven's sakes!

In the big picture people get probation for violent crimes, assault, theft, drug possession. Fraud is not necessarily going to do it. If she had embezzled money or something maybe but not with these facts.

So basically sorors we have a criminal out there that know a lot of very confidential information that we TRUE, non-criminal members worked hard to acquire! Wow this is truly a scary thought! At least she was smart enough to know the best sorority! There has to be something that the sorority can do to protect our confidential information! Well I'm just glad that she was caught.:D

at least she was prosecuted and will have to do some real public service. a lot of people dropped the ball on this one. for all members of bglo's, let this be a reminder to check credentials before sharing info about rituals and other info.

she made it to chapter president. wow...

Oh, my...
 

Can you imagine all of the lies she had to keep up with!!!

That would have got me right there...I don't lie well!! I would have gotten caught perping in a matter of minutes!!:eek:

Sistas, I believe we (all Sororities and Fraternities) need to make sure we have ourselves together. The same goes for our sisters and brothers who have desires to become a part of an organization. There's no need to fake or pretend about anything with people. The real you will come out sooner or later. I hate that this happened to your organization - for it could have happened to any GLO. (let's leave no one out)

Someone said when you want something real bad - you'll do anything to get it. Ms. Reid made that statement come to reality.

HopefulProspective - as you mentioned (indirectly) how can people lie or get away with things - it's just like my Grandmother told me - some people are so smooth - they can steal the sugar out of the gingerbread without you knowing it.
:(

Hindsight is 20/20, but

Sealed transcript with a verification phone call to the school by whoever handles applications to get into a sorority pretty much weeds out this kind of stuff.

Sometimes folks pay too much attention to the way people dress and the pretty pretty words they say to seek the truth the way they would if the applicant did not carry a Prada, wear MAC and drink Evian or Perrier.

All I can manage to utter out is that is some deep mess. But like my Grandmother always told me " What happens in the dark will ALWAYS come to the light" I hope that chapter is repossessing her naila' and other nic nacs, membership card and other pertinent information. Can We BLACKBALL!

I wonder how long ago she joined, because believe it or not it wasn't that long ago that plenty of schools still had handwritten transcripts with a "seal" that wasn't that hard to reproduce. Even now when you do alumnae intake and you get a transcript from someone who attended school in the 60s or 70s the transcript might look like a 3rd grade report card!!

What in the world
 

What does this have to do with this case?

Re: What in the world
 

This person had to have some pleasing aesthetic qualities to get as far as she got with the job, etc. If she had not been so smooth, people would have taken more time to research her qualifications, and discovered she was a fraud before she attained the promotion and other honors.

I could be wrong, of course, but I don't think so.

:D
TRSimon

Re: Re: What in the world
 

Could also be that she was well versed as far as education and knew what to say as far as college, education, teaching, pedagogy, etc.

She definitely slipped through the cracks on several facets: education, the sorority, job searches.

As a teacher, I know all of the stuff I had to do as far as national tests, recertification, fingerprinting. She really had to work hard at her lie. That had to be wearisome to lie that much for so long.

She said she was sorry...
 

"I'd like to make an apology for what I did," Reid said in a soft voice. "I know that it was wrong and I didn't want to do anything but just move on."
:o

Yeah, only because she got caught.

NinjaPoodle

Soror CT4, I agree! I thought that I was given the whole nine when I applied to be a substitute. We had to take a test, give a transcript, attend some seminars, we had to be fingerprinted, and a background check had to be run. I was like, am I applying to the FBI or what? I didn't think that people would actually go that far to lie about being certified to teach. I mean, it's not as if teachers make a whole lot of money! Oh well, I just can't believe that she was able to keep up the lie for as long as she did.

You know!?!?!?! If I perp a career, why pick one where you have to do work off the clock?!!?!?:p

I might have perped to be a lawyer or something. Not doctor because that is tooo much to fake and waaaaay too hard. You jcan watch all of the law shows and get your fake law practice going or something.

Anyway, a lie that long sooner or later would have started to unravel.

I don't think that she "joined." I think that she faked that, too, and "transferred" into that chapter, using the name of a deceased member (her aunt). This is what I've heard, anyway. But you know how rumors fly, so don't take me at my word.

The sad reality is, it may have already happened, or is happening, to any GLO. :(

Security!!!
 

Yes, we must be careful my greek sisters. I often hear stories about men/women who pledged one organization in one part of the country and then pledged another in another part....that's really scary. All BGLO's need to get together and develope some type of system whereas we could know if a person is part of another organization. As it stands now, I don't think we have anything in place like that.

Have a nice day!

National database
 

Soror Happydays, excellent idea.
I would think that the NPHC and all nine organizations could come up with the resources to put together a computerized, password-protected database that could allow membership officials to cross-check names so that it would diminish the probability of cases such as this.

Re: National database
 

I agree!! Great idea, Soror Happydays!!! We have to start looking out for each other!!!

Can I just tell yall what I love about this? We can (in fun) talk about each other, and say what sorority is the best (we all know which one, right? ;)), but when it comes down to it, we have each other's back! That's too cool!!!

*Ideal08 clapping and saying, in her best Mrs. Klump voice, to the tune of Hercules* Sisterhood, sisterhood... :D

Re: Re: National database
 

This is a wonderful idea. I hope it is followed through with an NPHC proposal.

TRSimon

I agree
 

I thought they already had something that had you on a list.

If you join Delta legit, you couldn't just run over and join Zeta or something, wouldn't you already be on a list with your crossing date?

QTE

YES WE DO
 

http://www.plauder-smilies.de/elefant.gifSAY IT WITH ME NOW: DST IS THE ONE FOR ME!! :D http://www.plauder-smilies.de/elefant.gif

But I love all my sisters of GREEKDOM and out of GREEKDOM.
SISTERHOOD is a FEELING and it needs to be put in action.

Sing it with me now WE ARE FAMILY!! I GOT ALL MY SISTERS and WE!

Re: YES WE DO
 

I agree. I think that a lot of women have gotten away from their sister-circles. Be it because we (b/c I've been there, too) got lost in a man, or stopped trusting women, or never had a lot of women friends, or whatever, we've lost that sister-connection, and we need to get it back. How's that for a run-on, CT4? :p

Did we change the subject, lol, or what?! :)

BTW, I didn't know about the NPHC list.

List???
 

I've never heard of this list. And what if someone has the same name? I don't recall having to turn in my SS# to become a soror (but that was 10 years ago). I just heard of this happening 2 years ago ...and actually a young lady was put out of both organizations. I also heard of an incident in Illinois with a 2 fraternities.

And with over 100K people in each sorority and numerous members inactive, how would you know. I know one of my line sisters dropped off the face of the earth after we crossed. No one knows where that child is.....

Mayber there is a list......but who keeps it updated? Has it been updated...what do you do about married folk with different names? Inactive people (people who haven't been active since they crossed -- another subject all together)?

Inquiring minds would like to know (smile).

Re: Re: What in the world
 

Actually, I have been told that she assumed someone else's identity in every relevant way (degree, other credentials, etc.) So if she successfully took someone else's identity I do not know ANY organization that is going to do that thorough a background check to unearth the truth. (If there are those out there that do, I would love to hear about it) And I guess it is just coincidence that no one from the undergrad chapter she claimed ever came through to call her out. Even the school system with their certification process only unearthed it upon the need to re-certify. I think it took more than a Prada bag and MAC lipstick to do what she did. And I don't believe that a non college grad would be patently unable to meet the expectations of a college grad in terms of ability to teach, communicate and work hard towards a goal. The fact of the matter is as complicated as people are, a degree only means but so much. There are many with them who are not qualified for anything and many without who are extremely successful. While her deception and dishonesty are huge character flaws that have been brought to light, it does not preclude her from having other characteristics that would assist her in perpetrating the fraud and doing work that actually merited a promotion even if she lied her way in the door.

Can't Believe...
 

While doing some research, I came across this website. I've heard of being able to get some illegal chit on the web; but, I didn't think you could get away with 'selling' fake degrees. Take a look see:

http://www.graduatenow.com/

Re: Re: Re: What in the world
 

In the article I read, they said she stole someone's certificate and faked it as her own. Now, when the school called to renew her certification, the state agency told the school that her qualifications were bogus. I am just going along with the story I read here.

Perhaps I was wrong before. Perhaps it was her Prada, her MAC and her eloquent speech and careful research of eloquent teaching terminology, but something about this woman helped her get the positions and promotions without careful research on the parts of her employer and others. For all the work to perpetrate this fraud that she put in, she could have gone to school and earned her certificate.

Whatever it is or was, it is a shame because young children have been misled, including her own.

Too bad.

Re: Can't Believe...
 

I didn't know you could "buy " a degree over the net either. What is this world coming to. She had access to everything we had to work hard to achieve and that really ticks me off.Everytime I think about how hard I had to work to earn my degree and letters I get angry.:mad:

If you can't believe that...
 

If you think that's bad, you can become an ordained minister by just sending in money. They send you ordination papers and you get registered with the state, and you have "authority" to perform weddings, christenings and other sacrements of the Church. You could just be marryin' people all willy-nilly...

TRSimon

How sad
 

I feel real bad for her three girls. They have to live with this for the rest of their lives. And what if they want to pledge a sorority, be it Delta or any other. This will come up to haunt them.

How do you deal with that? :(

Speaking of perpetrating a fraud!!!!
 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by CrimsonTide4
[B]

"You know!?!?!?! If I perp a career, why pick one where you have to do work off the clock?!!?!?:p

I might have perped to be a lawyer or something. Not doctor because that is tooo much to fake and waaaaay too hard."


It's funny that you mentioned this, because just last night on 48 Hours there was a man who killed a couple of people by pretending to be a doctor. He worked in several clinics and was the chief of staff at one place. He had NEVER been to medical school, but he said that he learned as he went along by attending continuing education seminars.

But check this out ........The guy was found out on several different occasions and was arrested 2 or 3 times. Once he escaped from prison, and immediately got a job as a doctor in another clinic. He was eventually recaptured and perpetrated the doctor fraud AGAIN!!! Basically, he did this on a pretty consistent basis for 18 years and as I mentioned before, people are dead because of what he did. Now tell me....HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN???????:eek:

Re: Speaking of perpetrating a fraud!!!!
 

I remember this story. He was practicing in California as a physician but he was only licensed as a pharmacist. I think it was in Reader's Digest see http://www.rd.com/common/nav/index.j...subChannelId=8 . He pulled this off by using the license number of a REAL physician who had the same name. Why the real physician was never clued in, I don't know!

Re: Speaking of perpetrating a fraud!!!!
 

Now, I don't even know what to say about this mess. And then people wonder why you're scared to go to the doctor and the dentist. Cuz of mess like this. This will only make me work faster to research holistic (sp?) medicine... :shakingmyhead:

Re: Re: Speaking of perpetrating a fraud!!!!
 

That's why I'm glad I can go to family members!! - As least I know they have their papers!!