Texas teacher certification cheating scheme: Bond set for 4 Houston ISD employees
HOUSTON - Bonds have been set for three Houston Independent School District educators who have been charged in a million dollar cheating scheme involving teacher certification exams. Friday morning marked the second court appearance for some of the educators accused of helping people cheat on teacher certification tests.
In an unprecedented crackdown on educational corruption, the Harris County District Attorney’s Office filed charges against five people accused of helping hundreds of teachers cheat on teacher certification tests. They allege the cheating scheme helped to certify up to 400 unqualified teachers in the state.
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"This is a very serious offense, and we are taking it very seriously," said Cheryl Irvin, the defense attorney.
On Friday, three HISD employees stood before a judge to hear their bond amounts. Nicholas Newton, the accused proxy-test taker and assistant principal of Booker T. Washington High School, had a bond set $50,000. LaShonda Robert, the assistant principal of Yates High School, also had a bond set for $50,000. Roberts is accused of recruiting people to participate in the cheating scheme. Vincent Grayson, a basketball coach at Booker T. Washington High School, is the alleged mastermind behind the cheating scheme. His bond was set at $100,000.
Vincent Grayson (left), Nicholas Newtown (middle), and Lashonda Roberts (right)
"If it becomes that the evidence is overwhelming, he will do as all of us should do, accept responsibility and rebuild, but at this stage, we’re not there yet," said Cheryl Irvin, Grayson's attorney.
In a statement, HISD said:
HISD was made aware of the investigation into an alleged cheating conspiracy shortly before arrests were made. Any educator who engages in conduct of this nature abdicates their responsibility to our students and to our staff and represents a complete betrayal of the public trust. HISD will cooperate fully with the Texas Education Agency and state and local law enforcement as the investigation progresses. All three of these employees have been arrested and will be receiving notifications relieving them of their duties effective immediately.
Additionally, if it is determined that any teachers currently working in HISD participated in this scheme or passed their certification exams fraudulently, we will take swift action to terminate their employment with the District.
Two other people, Darian Wilhite and Tywana Gilford Mason, are also facing the same charges for engaging in organized criminal activity. The district attorney’s office says the operation generated more than a million dollars for the defendants over the past four years.
Darian Nikole Wilhite
Mike Levine, a felony chief in the DA's Public Corruption Division, approximated the illicit earnings of the cheating ring’s orchestrator to be exceeding $1 million.
As part of their bond conditions, the accused have been asked to stay away from the school, including employees, former students and students. Their next court appearances are set for January.