A 33‑year-old woman poses as her daughter at school. The court gives her a punishment

Casey Garcia, a woman from Texas, entered a middle school disguised as her 13-year-old daughter. Donning a yellow hoodie and sneakers similar to a typical teenager, she moved around the school corridors and participated in classrooms. Her charade remained undetected until a teacher recognized her in the final lesson of the day.

Interestingly, Garcia wasn't fooling around or playing a prank. The 33-year-old woman conducted this experiment with a significant purpose at Ann M. Garcia-Enriquez Middle School, her daughter's school, in San Elizario, Texas. Garcia meticulously recorded the entire act and subsequently posted it online.

The video quickly gained viral fame. Garcia posted other videos explaining her motivation for the act and sharing the responses she received from both the school and the justice system.

The pandemic made Garcia's attempt possible. Disguised as her daughter, the mother not only wore her child's clothes but was able to cover her face with a mask acting as a successful disguise.

In the video, she exhibited all the trappings that helped her portray a student. Before heading to the middle school, she even dyed her hair to sell the disguise.

Footage shows her entering the school at 2.45 am with a black and white checked backpack. She used her daughter's name and student ID to gain entry. Further clips show her walking around the school corridors, interacting with others in a modified voice, participating in classes, and having lunch.

Garcia's main objective with this experiment was to demonstrate the lax security measures in her daughter's school. In her 2021 video, she articulated her concerns related to school shootings, expressing her desire to ensure that no unauthorized person could gain access to the school.

Several days after Garcia's experiment, which underscored serious loopholes in the school's security, the school authorities intervened. She was charged with trespassing on school property.

As reported by "The Washington Post", an El Paso County jury found Garcia guilty, sentencing her to six months of probation. She has also been ordered to pay a $700 fine and serve 100 hours of community service.

The school clarified that during the pandemic, they were operating in a hybrid teaching mode. As teachers did not know all of their students well and the students had to wear face masks, identification was a challenge for staff members.

However, learning a humbling lesson, the educational authorities conceded areas for improvement. In an email to "The Post", Jeannie Meza-Chavez, the Superintendent of San Elizario School District, stated that the district plans to review and reinforce its safety practices for students and employees.