Several Tarrant County educators accused of teacher-certification fraud in statewide probe
There are 15 Tarrant County educators who are among more than 100 teachers statewide being investigated by the Texas Education Agency over alleged teacher-certification fraud.
The names of the local educators released by state officials this week span across seven Tarrant school districts. Flags were placed on all of their teaching certificates and investigations were opened this week, according to TEA, with Fort Worth ISD having the highest number of accused educators. The names listed for each district do not mean that those educators are currently working there, according to TEA officials. The information is based on their employment either at the end of the 2022-2023 school year or the 2023-2024 school year.
The release of the names comes about a month after Attorney General Ken Paxton announced that a Harris County grand jury issued indictments against five people involved in a fraudulent scheme to help individuals obtain their state teacher certifications. Vincent Grayson, 57, the alleged scheme organizer; Nicolas Newton, 35; Tywana Gilford Mason, 51; Darian Wilhite, 22; and LaShonda Roberts, 39, are the five defendants who could face up to 20 years of incarceration if convicted of their suspected roles in the scheme.
“The operation involved teacher candidates paying Grayson to arrange for Newton to complete the TEA licensing exams on their behalf. Candidates would enter a testing center, provide their identification to a cooperating employee, and leave while Newton completed the exams in their place, allowing unqualified individuals to falsely obtain certification,” according to Paxton.
A TEA spokesperson said the agency “fully expects additional investigations to be opened as the agency receives more information.” The Star-Telegram has reached out to the local districts for comment.
Fort Worth ISD officials said they are taking the matter seriously, are cooperating with TEA and “will continue to do so to address this issue.”
“The Fort Worth Independent School District was recently notified by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) that, as part of its investigation into an alleged certification-testing scheme across the state, TEA has identified five (5) FWISD teachers (based on 2023-2024 PEIMS Data) who are under investigation by the TEA Educator Investigations division,” officials said. “Like all Texas public school districts, Fort Worth ISD relies on TEA and the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) to manage and oversee teacher certification processes. Fort Worth ISD is committed to upholding the highest standards for educator certification and professionalism to ensure our students receive quality instruction.”
Fort Worth ISD officials declined to answer whether the named educators are on administrative leave amid the state investigation.
Mansfield ISD officials said they were notified by TEA on Tuesday that two educators employed by the district in the 2023-2024 school year are under investigation as part of the alleged scheme based out of Houston.
“As requested, MISD confirmed to TEA that both teachers are current district employees. We are cooperating fully with TEA’s investigation. In addition, MISD is conducting its own investigation into our employees and will take appropriate action,” officials said.
Officials with the International Leadership of Texas, a public charter school network, said they would make a personnel decision on one of their Tarrant County employees in response to the results of TEA’s investigation.
“Any ILTexas employee who may have a fraudulent credential would receive the appropriate disciplinary actions up to and including termination. At this point, the investigation is being conducted by the TEA and we are awaiting the results,” officials said.
Arlington ISD officials said they placed three of their employees on administrative leave Thursday, Dec. 5, after being notified by TEA of “potential issues with their teaching credentials.”
“The TEA is conducting a thorough investigation, and the Arlington ISD is fully cooperating and supporting their efforts,” officials said.
Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD officials said their teacher on the list was placed on leave Thursday, Dec. 5, after the district was notified of the investigation. They said they are “cooperating fully with TEA.”
According to the list released by TEA, the names of the Tarrant County educators and their corresponding districts are:
Mansfield ISD:
Xavier Adams
Shameika Osborne
Fort Worth ISD:
Destiny Bowman-Smith
Hanna Hogan
Dominique Reagor
Sheba Regan-Waterford
Reuben Vaughn
Arlington ISD:
Shayla Bragg
Money Martin
Jordan Versey
International Leadership of Texas Arlington:
Kawonda Williams
Crowley ISD:
Dnarius Green
Janesha Haliburton
Everman ISD:
Caleb Hendrix
Eagle Mountain-Saginaw:
Dayon Mallet
This story will be updated.
This story was originally published December 5, 2024 at 2:00 PM.
