DALLAS (AP) — Police say a 25-year-old man posed as a 17-year-old Hurricane Harvey evacuee at Dallas high schools for nine months in order to compete on the basketball court.
Sidney Bouvier Gilstrap-Portley was arrested Friday. He faces a charge of tampering with government records.
Dallas school district officials say Gilstrap-Portley first enrolled at Skyline High School and later moved to Hillcrest High School, where he joined the basketball team.
District spokeswoman Robyn Harris says Gilstrap-Portley took advantage of schools opening their doors to students displaced by the storm. She says district officials believe Gilstrap-Portley’s primary motivation was to play basketball.
Superintendent Michael Hinojosa apologized to parents. He says the district will work to prevent a similar situation in the future.
An attorney wasn’t listed for Gilstrap-Portley in online records as of Wednesday.