Long Island teacher charged with using fake COVID-19 vaccination card
NASSAU COUNTY (WABC) -- A high school teacher on Long Island is facing charges, accused of submitting a forged vaccination card in an attempt to avoid Nassau County's COVID rules.
Tricia Manno, 47, who works in the Sewanhaka Central High School District, is believed to be the first teacher in the state to face felony charges for such an offense.
"This defendant allegedly attempted to circumvent the school district's mandatory testing requirement by submitting a vaccine card with obvious forgeries," District Attorney Anne Donnelly said. "Manno doubled-down on the fraud by allegedly illegally obtaining a replacement card at the Northport VA Medical Center, where she claimed to have been vaccinated, showing staff a digital fake as her proof. Submitting fraudulent documents is a crime, and in this case, one that put the health and safety of students and staff at risk."
The high school teacher allegedly submitted a digital copy of a vaccination card in September 2021 that appeared to be forged.
When employees at the school district asked her to submit the original card.
That's when Manno claimed to have lost the card, claiming that she was vaccinated at the Northport VA Medical Center.
She attempted to get a card from the Northport VA to submit to the school district by showing a VA staff member a photo of the forged vaccine card, saying she lost her original.
That staff member did issue Manno a replacement card, but the VA has no record of administering the COVID-19 vaccine to Manno.
Manno faces two felony and two misdemeanor charges and pleaded not guilty in court.
If she's convicted of the top charge, she faces a maximum of seven years in prison.
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