A grown woman faked her birth certificate and enrolled in high school because she missed the friendships she had as a teenager, according to her lawyer.
Hyejeong Shin, a 29-year-old South Korean citizen, posed as a new student at New Brunswick High School for just one week before the school discovered that her birth certificate was fake.
Her attorney, Darren Gelber, explained that Shin had made a mistake and was motivated by her desire for the kind of friendships she had experienced during her time at a private boarding school in the US when she was 16.
Mr Gelber went on to explain that Shin missed the atmosphere of her previous school and was seeking to recapture that environment at the school in New Jersey.
Mr Gelber told ABC 7 : "At no time was anyone or any student in danger and this entire case is more about my client wanting to return to a place of safety and welcoming and an environment that she looks back on fondly and nothing more."
He also stated that no students or faculty members were ever in danger during Shin's brief stay at the school, and the case was more about her longing for a safe and welcoming environment.
Shin's false documents led to her being indicted by a grand jury for a third-degree offence of hindering her own prosecution.
However, Mr Gelber and Shin hope that she will be accepted into a pre-trial intervention program and not have to serve any time in jail.
During the court proceedings, Shin's family sent their New York attorney to represent her.
New Brunswick Police investigated the case and concluded that Shin did not intend to bring harm or violence to the students, staff, or faculty of the school.
Board of Education President Dr Dale Caldwell defended school personnel, explaining that it wasn’t obvious from her appearance that she was 29.
Dr Caldwell told TAPinto : “It wasn’t like you could look at her and she looked like a grandmother. So, there really was no indication.
"Some of the students said, ‘Well, you should start looking at people.’ Well, my dad marched in the Civil Rights Movement to fight that thing that people look at you because you’re Black or you’re short or you’re tall or you’re old and make judgments of you.
"You can’t do that. There’s some kids in the school who look very, very old, but some kids look very, very young."
Once the case is resolved, Shin plans to return to South Korea after having lived in the US for 13 years.
Her next court date is currently pending.
