Authorities in Houston have charged five individuals in connection with an alleged million-dollar teacher certification cheating scheme. The Harris County District Attorney, Kim Ogg, detailed the case in a 2 p.m. press conference on Monday, revealing that illegally certified teachers have been working in local school districts.
The DA’s office identified those charged in the operation:
– **Vincent Grayson, 57**: The head boys’ basketball coach at Booker T. Washington High School in Houston ISD, alleged mastermind of the cheating scheme.
– **Tywana Gilford Mason, 51**: Former director and VA certifying official at the Houston Training and Education Center. As a test proctor, she allegedly helped conceal the scheme.
– **Nicholas Newton, 35**: An assistant principal at Booker T. Washington High School, accused of serving as a proxy test-taker.
– **Darian Nikole Wilhite, 22**: A proctor at TACTIX, allegedly accepted bribes to permit Newton to take tests on others’ behalf.
– **LaShonda Roberts, 39**: An assistant principal at Yates High School in HISD, accused of recruiting nearly 100 teachers for the scheme.
All five face two counts of organized criminal activity.
Investigators believe that around 400 tests were compromised and that at least 200 teachers were falsely certified through this scheme. Ogg stated the scheme dates back to at least May 2020, with estimated profits exceeding $1 million.
Disturbingly, Ogg revealed that two of those who obtained illegal certifications were known child sexual predators. Mike Levine, chief of the DA Office’s Public Corruption Division, expressed concerns, emphasizing the importance of teachers’ moral integrity and the impact of this betrayal on community trust.
The DA’s office encourages anyone with further information to contact local law enforcement or Crime Stoppers.
