School official quits after lying about health insurance to get medical care for sick student

ByCNN
Tuesday, February 5, 2019
Indiana superintendent quits after lying about health insurance to get medical care for sick student
Casey Smitherman, superintendent of Elwood Community Schools in Elwood, Indiana, admitted to taking a sick student to a clinic where she lied about him being her son so he could be

ELWOOD, Ind. -- A superintendent in Indiana returned to school after she was arrested for helping a sick student. Right now she faces three charges, including insurance fraud.

Casey Smitherman, superintendent of Elwood Community Schools in Indiana, said she checked on a student at home after the child missed school. He showed signs of strep throat, so she took him to a clinic where he was refused treatment.

Smitherman took the student to another clinic, where she admits she lied and said he was her son so he could be treated.

"I'm not saying it was right, I'm really sorry. I just was scared for him," Smitherman said. "I would love to go back to that moment and redo it."

Smitherman says the school board has been very supportive through all of this.

She made a deal with the district attorney's office. If she has no more arrests for a year, the charges will be dropped.