Police: Pa. mom changed her kids' grades in school computer system

AP Photo/Matthew Cavanaug

(AP) A Pennsylvania woman allegedly changed her children's grades after logging into a school computer system using passwords obtained when she worked for the district.

Investigators say Catherine Venusto used the Northwestern Lehigh School District superintendent's password to change the grades. She was arraigned Wednesday on a half-dozen felony counts and released on bail.

Officials say Venusto changed a failing grade to a medical exception for he daughter in 2010, when she was still a district secretary. The New Tripoli woman is also accused of bumping one of her son's grades from 98 to 99 percent in February.

State police say Venusto admitted changing the grades, saying she thought her actions were unethical but not illegal.

A phone listing for Venusto could not immediately be located Thursday.

[carolhill814]

I am ashamed of her in so many ways I can't count.
She should be made to pick up garbage of the streets all day long in the heat, she should be made to clean walls all over the area that has horrible words on them. She should be made to wear a sign on her telling everyone what she did on a very busy street so everyone would know what she did and not for a day but for a least a mouth.

[random_radar]

Let's not lose sight of the fact that she was an employee of the public school system...

[carolhill814]

The school system should have changed all of passwords when anyone is fired just like banks do and that kind of thing would never ever happen but that takes brains.

[hypnotoad72]

Amusing use of sarcasm, random_radar...

You might also try to fathom how private industries sometimes have the same problems with leaked passwords thanks to employees that quit or are fired, forget to do a mandatory change, and - whoops - a problem occurs.

[johngaltwho]

She changed her son's grade from a 98 to a 99? Kid must be adopted; hard to believe the progeny from this genepool would earn a 98 in anything.

[linfinster]

lolol

[cntrygirl3]

At least she cared about how her kids were doing in school, she just went ablut heping in a weird way.

[carolhill814]

This is 100% wrong all the way and I don't care the reason she did it she should have never ever done it NOT EVER!!!

[canislupus16]

"...she just went ablut [about] heping [helping] in a weird way."

A - not helping; B - not weird; C - unethical; D - illegal. Got it?

Girl, if you can reduce it to that, you sound like an apologist for her - and also someone who would commit the same unethical, illegal act, as well as lie and cheat in other matters of your life, and encourage your kids to do likewise. Just what we need - more ethically challenged kids becoming tomorrow's adult d-bags. Get a clue.

[randomites]

Way to go mom.

[bpb58]

and why should we expect anything from our kids when the parents lie & cheat like this?? it's ridiculous.

[carolhill814]

I couldn't agree with you more if I tried she should have to a lot of community work starting with using her teeth to mow some lawns and cleaning walls that have words written on it.

She should wear a sign on herself on the side of a busy street saying she cheated for her children changing their grades on the computer. I can't think of more but I am certain there is more she should do.

[tiredofliberals]

not illegal? what an idiot