Haverhill Woman Who Claimed To Be School Nurse Pleads Guilty To Fraud, Neglect

HAVERHILL (CBS) - A woman who lied to obtain a job as a school nurse in the Haverhill Public Schools, pleaded guilty in Salem Superior Court to child endangerment, neglect and fraud charges.

Lisa Bilodeau, 40, was hired by the Nettle School in August of 2013 to work with special needs children, claiming to hold an Associate's Degree in nursing from Northern Essex Community College.

Prosecutors say Bilodeau applied and interviewed for the position, but during a routine audit six months later schools officials realized they did not have a copy of her nursing license and placed her on leave.

They asked her to provide them with a copy while also conducting an online search of nursing licenses. When Bilodeau produced a copy of her license the school administrator immediately recognized it as forged.

One of the children in her care was the son of Brian Todd, a then 12-year-old with cerebral palsy who was nonverbal and prone to seizures. "It's been a stressful two years knowing the circumstances that involved my son," said Brian Todd. "He can't speak so we don't know about his day to day care and whether he was given the medication he needed."

Prosecutors say Bilodeau also cared for a girl with Down Syndrome and diabetes who needed medical attention because Bilodeau improperly administered her daily insulin shots.

Judge David Lowy scolded Bilodeau in court for betraying the trust of parents and the school community. "These children already face tremendous challenges and went through pain and suffering through no fault of their own," Lowy said.

Bilodeau will serve sixty days of a two and a half year sentence, the balance suspended for three years. While on probation she is required to seek and obtain the court's permission before getting a job in the medical field.

"She should never have been put in the classroom with special needs children without having a nursing license in hand and being able to verify it," said Brian Todd.