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Lissa Lagasse, 57, of Lowell, was arrested Friday, June 6, and faces 21 charges linked to her work in Haverhill schools, the Essex County District Attorney's Office said. She was being held on a $25,000 bond.
Prosecutors say Lagasse falsely claimed she had both undergraduate and graduate degrees. She also allegedly told employers that she was a decorated US military veteran and Purple Heart recipient — none of which, police say, is true.
“These are very serious allegations involving fraud, deception, and even the endangerment of children,” District Attorney Paul F. Tucker said.
The charges include identity fraud, reckless endangerment of a child, three counts of larceny over $1,200, and two counts of “stolen valor," a charge that involves lying about military honors for personal gain. She’s also accused of pretending to hold degrees, intimidating a witness, and being a “common and notorious thief” under Massachusetts law, authorities said.
According to prosecutors, Lagasse used her false credentials to land jobs in school districts in Lowell, Worcester, and Haverhill. How long she worked there, or how much she may have been paid during that time, has not been publicly disclosed.
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