A Sewanhaka High School math teacher was indicted Wednesday for allegedly submitting a fake COVID-19 vaccination card to the school, Nassau District Attorney Anne Donnelly said.
Tricia Manno, 47, from Lindenhurst was charged with trying to avoid the district’s mandatory testing rules.
“This defendant allegedly attempted to circumvent the school district’s mandatory testing requirement by submitting a vaccine card with obvious forgeries,” Donnelly said in a statement. “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.”
According to the district’s website, Manno teaches mathematics.
Superintendent James Grossanne said has been and will continue fully cooperating with the DA’s office but cannot comment on personnel matters “due to privacy restraints.”
On Sept. 21 of last year, Donnelly says Manno submitted a digital vaccination card in order to avoid the district’s testing rules, according to an investigation. Once colleagues found it possibly being fraudulent, Manno was asked to submit the original card, not digital, to the district but said it has been lost while also being vaccinated from the Northport VA Medical Center.
Using her fake digital card, the DA said Manno was able to get another copy, which she submitted to officials on Oct. 5, although there are currently no records that the hospital gave her a vaccination in the first place.
Manno was arraigned Wednesday on charges of second-and third-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument, two counts of first-degree offering a false instrument for filing and fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property. She has pleaded not guilty.
Michael Davidman, senior assistant district attorney of the Public Corruption Bureau is prosecuting the case. Manno is being represented by Scott Limmer who declined to comment other than confirming his client’s not-guilty plea.
