Texas school system rocked by million-dollar teacher cheating scandal

A coach certification ungraded is rocking nan Houston area, according to a connection by Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg connected Monday.

The strategy progressive hundreds of teachers taking mendacious examinations, fixed retired by nan suspects who charged per certificate, pinch galore being falsely certified. 

The cheating ringing unmasked astatine slightest 5 group allegedly progressive successful nan million-dollar cheating ungraded starring to fraudulently certified teachers moving successful nan district. At slightest 3 of those charged were Houston Independent School District (HISD) employees, including 2 adjunct principals and a precocious schoolhouse hoops coach. 

Officials judge nan hoops coach astatine Booker T. Washington High School was nan ringleader and that he made astir $1 cardinal from nan scheme, charging $2,500 per certificate, though immoderate paid more. 

Five group are charged successful relationship pinch a teacher-certification cheating ring. (Fox News)

Ogg said nan scheme goes back arsenic acold arsenic May 2020, and it is believed that hundreds of tests person been faked and investigators opportunity astatine this clip astir 20 teachers person travel guardant pinch confessions.

"The grade of this strategy will ne'er beryllium afloat known, but we cognize that astatine slightest 400 tests were taken and astatine slightest 200 teachers falsely certified," Ogg said.

Ogg besides said astatine slightest 2 of those who paid to get nan clone certification were charged pinch indecency pinch a kid arsenic good arsenic online inducement of a minor.

"It's very troubling," Mike Levine, a felony main successful nan DA Office's Public Corruption Division, said. "Because teachers — particularly teachers and coaches who thief power children's behaviour — we count connected them for their civilized compass. A portion of what they do goes beyond their mastery of their taxable matter."

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The downtown skyline is pictured arsenic nan sun rises connected August 25, 2018 successful Houston, Texas. (Loren Elliott/Getty Images)

Chargers are pending for:

• Vincent Grayson, 57: Head boy's hoops coach astatine Booker T. Washington High School successful Houston ISD, Grayson is accused of organizing nan scheme.
• Tywana Gilford Mason, 51: Former head and certifying charismatic astatine nan Houston Training and Education Center, Mason allegedly helped conceal nan proxy strategy arsenic a trial proctor.
• Nicholas Newton, 35: Assistant main astatine Booker T. Washington High School, Newton reportedly acted arsenic a proxy test-taker successful nan cheating ring.
• Darian Nikole Wilhite, 22: Proctor astatine TACTIX, Wilhite is accused of taking bribes to let proxy testing.
• LaShonda Roberts, 39: Assistant main astatine Yates High School, Roberts is alleged to person recruited astir 100 teachers to participate successful nan scheme.

Each suspect faces 2 counts of engaging successful organized criminal activity.

"The astir important point to maine is that nan ringleaders person been identified and are being routed retired of our location schoolhouse district. The truth that they held positions of powerfulness there, wherever they were held successful esteem by nan children, is nan very worst portion of this crime," Ogg said.

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A Texas emblem is connected nan backmost of a constabulary motorcycle extracurricular of nan ceremonial for Dallas constabulary Sergeant Michael Smith astatine Watermark Community Church, Thursday, July 14, 2016, successful Dallas.  (Mark Mulligan/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)

A HISD spokesperson claims nan territory wasn’t alert of nan strategy until correct earlier nan arrests and that each labor were instantly placed connected leave.

"HISD was made alert of nan investigation into an alleged cheating conspiracy soon earlier arrests were made. Any educator who engages successful behaviour of this quality abdicates their work to our students and to our unit and represents a complete betrayal of nan nationalist trust. HISD will cooperate afloat pinch nan Texas Education Agency and authorities and section rule enforcement arsenic nan investigation progresses. All 3 of these labor person been arrested and will beryllium receiving notifications relieving them of their duties effective immediately.

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"Additionally, if it is wished that immoderate teachers presently moving successful HISD participated successful this strategy aliases passed their certification exams fraudulently, we will return swift action to terminate their employment pinch nan District."

The DA's agency urges anyone pinch accusation astir these certifications to interaction section constabulary aliases Crime Stoppers.