Deandre M. Ellis most certainly had other things on his mind than vocabulary words and Number 2 pencils last week as he prepared for the New York Regents exam. No, Ellis, a former Schenectady High School student, was probably more concerned with whether his wig was on straight, his eyelashes curled, and his apparel appropriate--and if he'd get caught by the test monitor. And he was right to be worried. His transgression? Going to the test in drag. Problem is that he didn't just dress up as any girl; he dressed up as a current female student at Schenectady High School in order to take the Regents exam for her. Talk about testing anxiety. The reason for his charade remains unclear--an early Valentine's Day gift gone awry?--but the consequences were swift and harsh; Ellis was arrested by local police. We can only ponder the young man's thought process as he drove to the test site that morning: Pencils? Check. Watch? Check. High heels? Check. Wig?
"Police: Regents taker an imposter," Steven Cook, Daily Gazette, January 29, 2009
"Police: NY boy dressed as girl to cheat on exam," Associated Press, January 29, 2009