School Employee Fakes Daughter’s Death For More Vacation Time

A New York City school employee is accused of forging a daughter’s death certificate to get extra vacation time in Costa Rica. Joan Barnett, 58, a parent coordinator at the High School of Hospitality and Management, submitted an altered death certificate to get approved leave time in March and April 2010, school officials said. She lost her job that June after the forgery came to light. School officials say someone 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, another supposed daughter 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 8th. School officials were suspicious because it had different, misaligned fonts. A Costa Rican government official confirmed the document was a fake, noting that the death certificate had been issued in 2005. In addition to losing her job, Barnett pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor forgery charge last fall and was sentenced to 10 days’ community service. It isn’t known whether the daughter who purportedly died ever existed.