Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior High School

Summary

An 18-year-old student at Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior High School was arrested for allegedly accessing the school’s grading system and altering his own report card along with at least four other students’ grades. The student, identified as Jose Bautista, faced charges including intellectual property offenses and modifying computer programs after the principal reported him to authorities. He provided a written confession and was released on bond with house arrest and GPS monitoring. The school district emphasized serious consequences under its conduct code, including potential expulsion, while the graduation status of the accused and possible disciplinary actions against other involved students remained under investigation.

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Description

In May 2014, Miami-Dade School Board Police arrested 18-year-old Jose Bautista, a senior at Dr. Michael M. Krop Senior High School, for allegedly hacking into the school’s grading system and altering academic records. The incident came to light after the school principal reported Bautista to authorities, presenting a written confession from the student. According to the arrest report, Bautista accessed the system to modify his own report card and changed grades for at least four other students, along with other unspecified information. Friends of Bautista stated he had approached them between the start of the school year and February 2014, offering to alter their grades. The timing of the arrest occurred weeks before Bautista’s scheduled graduation, raising questions about his eligibility to participate in commencement ceremonies.

Following his arrest on May 1, Bautista appeared before a judge the next day, where bond was set at $20,000 alongside a court order for house arrest with GPS monitoring. He was subsequently released from jail. Miami-Dade Schools issued a statement emphasizing the district’s serious approach to such incidents, noting potential disciplinary actions under the Code of Student Conduct, including expulsion. The criminal charges filed against Bautista included offenses against intellectual property, unauthorized modification of computer programs, and crimes targeting computer users. School administrators and police did not disclose technical details about the breach method or whether other students who allegedly received grade changes would face disciplinary consequences. The case remained under active investigation to determine the full scope of impacted records and possible accomplices.

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