<p>My mom was working when I was sent home with a paper to have her sign that night and turn in the very next day. My mom told me to sign it myself. She has done this other times too. I am a senior and turning 18 yrs old in a couple weeks. She thought it was no big deal, and I did not think it was a big deal. And I actually have asked her each time. I do not just sign stuff without talking to her. </p>
<p>This particular thing, I called my mom and told her what the paper was. She told me to just sign it for her. Fine, I did. Then, now, the assistant principal called me in and asked me if I had forged my mom’s signature. I told her I did sign my mom’s name. My mom’s credit card even lets me sign. And I told her my mom was aware of the note and I had read it to her on the phone. Now, I have been told that forging someone else’s signature is illegal and I am in trouble. I called my mom who then immediately informed the school that she told me to sign. The assistant principal told her it does not matter, it is illegal and I am in trouble. Now my parents have to go meet with the principal. My mom then called my aunt who is an AP in this district. My aunt thinks the AP is just retalliating because my mom complained about a teacher. This all coincided with my mom filing a complaint against a teacher. My aunt says it is not illegal for me to sign my mom’s name when my mom told me to. </p>
<p>I did not think I did anything wrong! Especially since my parents told me to do it. And, my parents think I did nothing wrong. Can I be disciplined and lose my admission to the colleges I am in at?</p>
<p>fyi, you aren’t allowed to sign someone else’s name on a credit card as that is indeed illegal. However, you may use it with permission and sign your own name. The company may even have a way to make this formal.</p>
<p>Signing a school document may not go as far as illegal (if it is not a legal document), however it is very likely breaking every rule that exists on the subject. Your mother and you are in the wrong. You mother should be apologetic and explain that she has instructed you to do this with her permission and ask the administration not to blame you for following her incorrect instructions, and that you both will correct your actions in future. Take it as a lesson and don’t be too defensive. Signing credit cards illegally is certainly no defense. Hopefully this won’t reach any level of discipline that would have to be reported to your colleges. Don’t get ahead of yourself on that.</p>
<p>It is often acceptable to sign for another person if they authorize it. Your mom should say she authorized you to sign. If they can show you a rule prohibiting it, you can promise not to do it again.</p>
<p>Isn’t it pretty obvious that the school wouldn’t condone such an arrangement? Or at least there should have been prior permission on file. Or at least an indication of the student initials or otherwise indicating that the parent didn’t sign herself? Without indicating you are an agent or person with permission, absent power of attorney or marriage I don’t see how this is considered acceptable.</p>
<p>I actually sign my own name on the credit card. But I did sign her name on this because she told me to. But, the school would not have made an issue of it except that my parents have filed a complaint about a teacher and they are angry at my parents. </p>
<p>It seems like your school is over-reacting but you haven’t told us exactly what it was you signed. </p>
<p>To answer your question about what the school can do - Are you in a public or private school? What was the form? We can’t really weigh in with any certainty without this info. </p>
<p>However even if you do wind up with some sort of discipline on your record, I know of several cases where students in my own kids’ private school received discipline for far more serious offenses than yours, but their college acceptances were not affected (1 case involved an Ivy and 2 others were highly-selective private colleges). </p>
<p>I think colleges are hesitant to judge students based on their high school’s decision to discipline, because each school’s rules and enforcement are going to be so different. </p>
<p>Wait and see what happens, and if your school does discipline you I strongly suggest you immediately contact the colleges you are considering and let them know of the situation. They will appreciate your honesty and I can’t imagine it would affect your acceptance. </p>
<p>BTW I ran into something similar when my daughter was in 3rd grade and her teacher wanted a parent’s signature that she did her homework every night! I thought it was so stupid because my daughter had always done her homework without me hounding her so I told her to sign for me. </p>
<p>When the teacher got upset I told her she was out of line telling me how to supervise my own child. If a kid is being responsible I don’t need the school to help her become less self-sufficient. The teacher backed off and quit asking me for a signature. </p>
<p>And my now HS senior daughter has grown up to be a highly independent and responsible young adult (as I had planned). </p>
<p>It was an agreement to do volunteer work at NHS. My mom had signed stuff like it before and I read it to her and she told me to just sign it for her. And this is public school. </p>
<p>Not sure what you mean by NHS but if the agreement included some kind of release of liability for you participating then I can see the school might be upset about you signing (since that is a legal document). </p>
<p>However it hardly seems on par with say cheating or some other action that might require discipline. As a public school I’d be surprised if they do more than scold you. </p>
<p>I agree with @BrownParent to encourage your mom to apologize and @Hunt you let the school know it won’t happen again. Lesson learned - hopefully chapter closed. </p>
<p>NHS = National Honor Society. Must say, that’s a really ironic form to get into trouble for! I hope the school drops the complaint against you.</p>
<p>And forging a signature is only illegal if the person chooses to prosecute you. I’m sure there are more than a few women on CC who have signed a spouse’s paycheck before depositing it, for example.</p>
<p>I am suspecting my mom might not apologize. She is very angry right now. She had filed a complaint about this teacher so this teacher came back with this. This was a form from a little while ago. I think the teacher knew I signed it and only brought it up because my mom was complaining about her. And my mom had actually filed an official complaint. And so the teacher brought this up as a come back. Now all the school (the one administrator anyway) wants to focus on is that I signed this instead of my mom, and they refuse to even discuss or “entertain” her complaint. And the complaint was in reference to this teacher openly making some prejudicial remarks about me and treating me in a prejudiced way. I am trying to be vague because this is a public forum.</p>
<p>This Assistant Principle is making a big deal out of nothing. This has to be a pay back just like you said @undecided2014 . Something like this should just be settled with a warning. Now if you and your mom feel like the Assistant Principle wants to continue to make a big deal out of this, tell mom to get an attorney and go straight to the school board with her complaint about this being a pay back.</p>
<p>Someone at the board of education has to be smart enough to see through this game the Assistant Principle is playing. </p>
<p>Go on line and google laws about forgery in your state. In mine it is only illegal if there is intent to commit fraud.
Print it and have your mom go see the principal involved. I hope she is polite but firm. You were acting on her instructions. They need to make all trace of this “infraction” go away. From what you describe it is harassment. </p>
<p>In the future, when signing for someone with permission, sign your own name, then print next to it “for XXX, with permission” then date it. It just covers your butt. Never forge someone else’s name, even with permission. That being said, it sounds like your school is taking this a bit far based on what info you have provided.</p>
<p>That is telephonic authorization. Your principal is wrong. I agree that the way to do it is their name with your initials or ‘by’ your name, technically, but forgery is simply the wrong term.</p>
<p>–</p>
<p>hm. And I agree their outrage may be a red herring for wanting an excuse to bury your complaint, from what you say.</p>
<p>My kids signed my name on high school papers all of the time w/ my permission. I just don’t see the big deal. I am guessing it is not all that uncommon. I don’t believe it is illegal in a case like this- it was just acknowledgement of receipt of information and their was no intent to deceive. i would definitely go over the AP’s head if she decides to pursue this. </p>
<p>There’s probably more to this than we’re being told, and frankly, you’ve told us more than we need to know. So let me bottom-line this.</p>
<p>Can the school discipline you? Yes
Can you appeal? Yes
Can your mom raise a stink/threaten legal action? Yes
Will your admission offer be rescinded? NO</p>
<p>Learn the lesson now: do not ever sign someone else’s name even if they tell you to and even if they say it is all right and even if they don’t think it is a big deal. Just don’t do it. From small lapses in ethics come larger ones. While you probably won’t suffer yourself this time around, your mother’s reputation at your school is ruined (they won’t trust anything else she has to say or any other signature she provides), and if you go on into adulthood lackadaisical about signing other people’s names on documents or financial reports or credit cards or tax returns, it is going to bite you bad.</p>
<p>Since your mother authorized this the school should deal directly and only with her. You are acting on her behalf (as an agent if you will). Therefore you are under and acting by her authority. The fact you are a minor and your parent tells you to do it would support this. The school appears to be pursuing a blind trail in this and probably will until someone backs them down.</p>
<p>As a side, has she ever thought about creating a signature stamp (as many have for signing). In that case the stamp can be used and if asked if its your signature you can say no its your moms – in all honesty. I think that might work for non legal docs like this. Its hard to tell its a stamp in most cases.</p>
<p>"“the assistant principal called me in and asked me if I had forged my mom’s signature. I told her I did sign my mom’s name”" — hindsight now, but you could have thrown it back on him by saying something like “here’s my moms phone number, call her and ask if she signed it” and not answered the question. That would have side tracked them.</p>