TEA: 60 more educators to be investigated in certification cheating scheme

Texas - Two months after releasing a list of more than 100 educators under investigation in a certification cheating scandal, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) has added 60 more teachers to be included in the investigation.

Back in December, the TEA said more than 100 teachers were being suspected of fraudulent teacher certification practices after a scandal involving a large-scale cheating scheme in Harris County.

This scheme allowed unqualified teachers to work in local school districts.

60 more Texas teachers named in teaching certification investigation

What we know:

The new list from the TEA lists 60 more teachers believed to be involved in the certification scheme.

Below is the list of names with the corresponding district where they were last known to be employed. There are 33 separate districts, and they have all been notified of the teachers' suspected involvement.

Aldine ISD

• Harbin, Julia
• James, Odell
• Johnson, LaTyler

Alief ISD

• Smith, Rod

Alvarado ISD

• Cisneroz, Lawrence

Arlington ISD

• Roberts, Nia
• Smith, Nicholas

Beaumont ISD

• Prince, Terrell

Boling ISD

• Mathis, Wade

Carthage ISD

• Hill, Reginald

Cedar Hill ISD

• Burns, Devonta

Crowley ISD

• Oneal, Crystal

Cypress-Fairbanks ISD

• Ganaway (Johnson), Tomeka
• Hamilton, Leeland
• Lewis, Xaquenetta
• Marshall, Jeremy
• Wilson, Darius

Dallas ISD

• Hanks, Adrianne
• Rodriguez, Hugo
• Willingham, Kenneth

Dallas ISD (2022)

• Winn, Robert L.

Del Valle ISD

• Edouard, Alin
• Jackson, Aaron

Duncanville ISD

• Hardaway, Dwight
• Hemphill, Patrick
• Simmons, Michelle

Everman ISD

• Bennett, Brandon

Fort Bend ISD

• Fogle, William
• Harris, Kimberly
• Octave, Natashia

Fort Worth ISD

• Conner, TyQuandrik
• Johnson, Kashae
• O'Neal, Yancy
• Pringle, Edmund

Goose Creek ISD

• Tarry, Levah

Granbury ISD

• Mitchell, Donald

Houston ISD

• Crump, Donna
• Granger, Jona
• Jimenez, Monique
• Rideaux, Sherman
• Smith, Kaylon
• Swain, Cody
• Veazie, Allen
• Walker, George
• Woods, William

Humble ISD

• Turner, Reginald

Keene ISD

• Bailey, Rico

Lake Dallas ISD

• Reid, Robert

Lufkin ISD

• Holt, Taishia

Maypearl ISD

• Cannon, Quentin

Mesquite ISD

• Metcalf, Quincy
• Swann, Lamonda

Northside ISD

• Taylor, Colin

Plano ISD

• McNeal, Devante

Port Arthur ISD

• Williams, Michelle

Richardson ISD

• Onic, Ellis

Royal ISD (2023) / Jefferson ISD

• Hayes, Charmini

Spring ISD

• Martin, Lajuana

Waco ISD

• Webb, Anthony

Wichita Falls ISD

• Beaver, Shavodrick

What is the Texas teaching certification scandal?

The backstory:

Back in October 2024, it was announced by former Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg that five people would face felony charges after being accused of orchestrating an illegal cheating scheme that granted unearned certifications to hundreds of Texas teachers. All five of those defendants face two counts of engaging in organized criminal activity.

The initial five teachers to face charges:

• Vincent Grayson, 57: Head boys basketball coach at Booker T. Washington High School in Houston ISD. Grayson is charged as the organizer of the cheating operation. He’s alleged to have made $1,090,000 off of the scheme.
• Tywana Gilford Mason, 51: Former director and VA certifying official at the Houston Training and Education Center. Mason allegedly used her position as a test proctor to keep the proxy scheme hidden. She’s alleged to have made $125,000 off the scheme. Records indicate Gilford Mason was prosecuted for Bribery in the early 2000’s.
• Nicholas Newton, 35: Assistant principal at Booker T. Washington High School. Newton is accused of participating in the scheme by acting as a proxy test-taker. He’s alleged to have made $188,000 off the scheme by taking 430 tests.
• Darian Nikole Wilhite, 22: A proctor at TACTIX who allegedly accepted bribes to enable Newton's actions as a testing proxy. It’s alleged he accepted $250 each time he allowed the testing to take place under his watch.
• LaShonda Roberts, 39: Assistant principal at Yates High School. Roberts is accused of recruiting nearly 100 teachers to take part in the cheating scheme. She’s alleged to have charged each teacher she recruited, some cases ‘in excess of $1,000’.

What they're saying:

HISD released this statement to FOX 26:

"HISD has a rigorous approach to recruiting, hiring, training, and supporting educators so that all our students get the education they deserve. It is a shame that a small handful of individuals, out of HISD's more than ten thousand dedicated teachers, allegedly tried to cheat the system and Houston’s students. All of the individuals have been relieved of their duties and reassigned pending the outcome of the state’s investigation."

Texas Education AgencyEducation