Five people have been charged in Texas’ massive teacher certification fraud scandal with orchestrating an elaborate fraud scheme that certified more than 200 uncertified teachers across the state. Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said the alleged ringleader, Vincent Grayson, a basketball coach at Houston’s Booker T. Washington High School, coordinated agents to take teacher candidates’ certification exams. He reportedly earned more than $1 million.
Prosecutors said the scheme involved paying test takers $2,500 to impersonate their agents during certification exams at two Houston-based testing centers. did. Grayson is accused of bribing test proctors to allow proxies to take the exams on behalf of the original candidates, resulting in more than 400 fraudulent exams being completed. “These actions threaten the integrity of our education system and put unqualified teachers in our classrooms,” Ogg said at a press conference Monday. She highlighted the scope and duration of the operation, which spans from May 2020 to early 2023.
Grayson, 57, is charged with two felonies for engaging in organized criminal activity, along with four co-conspirators. Among the alleged accomplices is Nicholas Newton, a vice principal who acted as a substitute test taker. Another principal, LaShonda Roberts, was also accused of recruiting teachers for the scheme. Two supervisors, Tiwana Guilford Mason and Darian Nicole Willhite, are suspected of accepting bribes to authorize the fraud.
The investigation uncovered more than 210 fraudulent teacher certifications, and the scheme was largely exposed by an informant. Ogg said a former coach who volunteered to become a police officer elsewhere in Texas experienced an “attack of conscience” and alerted authorities to the scheme, which led to a full-scale investigation. Investigators were able to link digital footprints, including Zelle and CashApp accounts, to Grayson and other defendants, allowing them to build a comprehensive case against those involved.
Assistant District Attorney Mike Levine detailed how Grayson’s system works, saying test takers arrive, present their ID, sign in, and then quickly leave. A well-coordinated process was described. A few minutes later, Newton was to complete the test in his place. Newton, who is suspected of taking an estimated 430 tests, is said to have made $188,000 for his involvement. He was eventually caught “red-handed” during an exam session, where investigators observed him taking two certification exams in one day. After his arrest, Newton confessed to his role, along with at least 20 other teachers who benefited from the scam.
The Texas Education Agency (TEA), which oversees public education and teacher certification in Texas, launched its own investigation into the scandal following the arrests. “I have every confidence that the authorities will investigate all teachers and take whatever action they deem appropriate if they believe someone has obtained their credentials fraudulently,” Levine said. He noted that he intends to review the credentials of educators involved in the plan. .
The Houston Independent School District (HISD), where several of the suspects worked, said it was fully cooperating with authorities and taking immediate disciplinary action. HISD chief spokesperson Alexandra Elizondo said, “If a teacher currently working for HISD is found to have participated in this program or fraudulently passed a certification exam, their employment with the district will be terminated. We will take prompt measures to prevent this.”
In court, Grayson was ordered to wear an electronic monitor and prohibited from standing within 200 feet of Harris County’s teacher exam center. His bail was set at $300,000, but Newton remains in jail on $200,000 bail. Roberts, who is accused of directing more than 90 teachers to participate in the scheme, has posted bail and is scheduled to appear in court next month. Prosecutors allege Roberts personally funneled more than $267,000 to Grayson, often taking a cut from the teachers she introduced.
The prosecutor’s office said Grayson paid Mason, a proctor at the Houston center, about $125,000 to falsify test records so he could take the test on his behalf. The exam fraud was originally conducted at the Houston Training and Education Center (HTEC), but when that center closed in 2023, Grayson moved his operations to another site called TACTIX, where he hired a young test proctor, Will. It is alleged that Mr. Hite accepted a $250 bribe to facilitate the fraud. .
The fallout from the scandal is likely to continue to grow as TEA reviews its certification protocols and pursues further investigation. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who announced the grand jury indictment, said the scandal was serious, especially since it involved “at least two individuals with a history of predatory behavior” who contacted students under false pretenses. emphasized the impact.
Officials urged anyone with additional information to come forward as they continue to dig deeper into the operation. Meanwhile, lawyers for some of the defendants are preparing to contest the charges. Roberts’ attorney, Brandon Leonard, called the accusations “baseless allegations” and said, “Mr. Roberts looks forward to his day in court. I am confident the truth will come out.” , promised to vigorously defend his client in court.
