Mom Hacks School Computer to Change Kids' Grades

One mom took helicopter parenting to new heights when she hacked into a school district’s computer system to change her children’s grades, reports MSNBC .

Catherine Venusto obtained password information for the Northwestern Lehigh School District’s superintendent when she was employed as a secretary. She used that information to change her daughter’s failing grade to a medical exception and adjust her son’s grade of 98 to a 99.

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As a secretary, Catherine’s duties included creating sign-in and passwords for district employees. She used those passwords to also access the district’s human resource system, where e-mails and personnel files are stored. Catherine told the police that she logged into the system out of “curiosity” and “boredom.”

An investigation began when a teacher noticed the superintendent’s name logged into an electronic gradebook system. The system was soon shut down, but the assistant superintendent says that they had a “pretty good idea” who the culprit was based on the grades that were changed.

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Catherine logged into the system more than 100 times, overall. The grades for her children were the only ones that were changed. While Catherine claimed that her actions were merely unethical and not illegal, she has been charged unlawful use of a computer and computer trespass.

Do you think changing a grade should be illegal? Would you ever cheat to help your child succeed at school?