A school superintendent was brought up on fraud charges after using her insurance to help a student. Casey Smitherman, who works for Elwood Community Schools in Indiana, is out on bail after being charged with several crimes.

According to Smitherman, she was concerned for a student who had missed school and visited his home to check on him. In a previous case of him being absent, she and her husband had assisted him with buying clothes and cleaning his house. This time, she learned that he was ill with a severe sore throat and took him to a local clinic.

He was turned away since he was a minor and she wasn’t his guardian, so she drove him to a different one. Smitherman pretended he was her son so that he could be treated under her health insurance. He was given a prescription for an antibiotic and the medical bill totaled $233.

Her deed was discovered after the student started telling people about what she had done. Smitherman voluntarily surrendered to police and was booked for several felonies: identity deception, insurance fraud, and official misconduct. She admitted that although she made a mistake, at the time, she was only concerned for his well-being.

Under the terms of a “diversion” deal with the prosecutor’s office, if Smitherman avoids arrest for one year, the charges will be dropped, and she will not have a criminal record. Behind the scenes, the school board supported Smitherman.

In a statement, she said this:

“The Elwood community has been welcoming since I started this position, and I am so grateful for your support. I am committed to this community and our students, and I regret if this action has undermined your trust in me. From the beginning, my ultimate goal has been to provide the best environment for Elwood students’ growth physically, mentally and academically, and I remain focused on that purpose.”

The authorities involved in the case believe Smitherman had good intentions but learned a valuable lesson. In the future, they would prefer that child services be contacted.

What are your thoughts on this superintendent’s actions? Would you have helped in this way?

Source: Herald Bulletin