Two fired Forney Independent School District employees are facing federal fraud charges for a “pass the trash” scheme that enabled a teacher with a history of sexual misconduct to abuse more special needs students.
Forney ISD also agreed to a civil False Claims Act settlement in the case.
Federal authorities filed wire fraud charges against former Crosby Elementary Principal Wendy Bailey and special education teacher Johnathan Michael, also known as Michael Roell.
Both were arrested earlier this year on state charges—Roell/Michael for physically and sexually abusing students in his Crosby classroom throughout the 2025-26 school year and Bailey for failing to report the abuse.
A federal criminal complaint filed August 14 alleges Roell/Michael and Bailey defrauded Forney ISD by providing false information and concealing past misconduct claims so the district would hire the teacher.
“These are not allegations of negligence; they are allegations of deception, and they illustrate exactly how passing the trash operates inside real North Texas schools,” said Ryan Raybould, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, who announced the charges on Tuesday.
In 2015-16, while working at Hudson Middle School in Garland ISD under the name Roell, the teacher was accused of physically and sexually abusing male special needs students and charged with indecency with a child by sexual contact.
A jury acquitted him, but Garland ISD settled a lawsuit with families of three students abused by the teacher. Bailey worked in Garland ISD at the time Roell was charged.
According to the federal complaint, Roell worked hospice and healthcare jobs from 2016 to 2022. He taught in Dallas ISD from 2022 to 2024 but was dismissed over a student complaint. Plano ISD then denied him a job due to a sexual misconduct complaint. Denton ISD hired Roell in 2025 but dismissed him after two days when parents complained about his history of abusing students.
None of those complaints resulted in any charges being filed against Roell.
Roell applied to Forney ISD in August 2025. When a colleague sent a copy of Roell’s resume to Bailey, the principal responded with a picture of his mugshot and the message “No thank you. LOLOLOL! Lelt’s [sic] try again. :).”
Bailey still scheduled an interview with Roell but later canceled it after an HR staffer told her the district should not hire Roell.
Investigators discovered that Roell then legally changed his name to Johnathan Michael at Bailey’s prompting.
“Definitely explore the name change route!” Bailey texted Roell on August 19. When Roell replied it would be “hard to explain” why none of his other records were in the new name, Bailey responded, “A good lawyer can get all documents changed.”
Using his new name, Roell/Michael reapplied to Forney ISD. According to the complaint, he falsely claimed on his application that he had never been known by another name or been charged with having an “inappropriate relationship” with a minor.
With Bailey’s recommendation, Forney ISD hired Roell/Michael in October 2025 to teach special education at Crosby Elementary. He requested to work in a classroom with nonverbal students.
“Through this fraudulent conduct, Roell and Bailey secured Roell employment at Forney ISD, which included salary and benefits,” the federal complaint states. The offered salary was $67,700.
Raybould revealed the federal charges during a press conference Tuesday announcing Project Safe Schools—a partnership of federal, state, and local authorities investigating and prosecuting educator misconduct coverups in North Texas school districts.
“Beginning in January 2026, staff reported concerns that Roell was abusing nonverbal special needs students,” said Raybould.
Let that sink in. The allegations are he was abusing nonverbal special needs students, children unable to report what was happening to them. That’s why we’re here. Staff provided multiple reports, including video evidence. Yet Bailey made no report to CPS, law enforcement, TEA, or any other law enforcement agency, despite mandatory rules for her to do so. This misconduct came to light only when an aide notified a kid’s parent directly.
According to the complaint, two aides made multiple reports to Bailey about Roell/Michael’s inappropriate physical and sexual behavior with students, some of which was captured on classroom video.
In April, Bailey moved one of the aides to a different classroom.
The aides then reported the issues to Forney ISD school board trustees. The district called in the Texas Rangers, who started an investigation in May along with federal partners.
“These were not isolated failures; they represented systemic failures across multiple levels of the district. Conduct that Forney, to its credit, has taken responsibility for,” said Raybould. “For too long, misconduct in North Texas public school districts has been ignored or dismissed as isolated. Additionally, school districts have not been held accountable. That era is over.”
Roell/Michael, 45, was arrested in May and charged with two counts of injury to a child with intent to cause bodily injury and one count of child grooming, both felonies. He remains in the Kaufman County Jail.
According to Kaufman County court documents, Roell/Michael is accused of putting special needs students in choke holds, pinning them to the ground with his knee, and holding them under his desk by force; and sexualized conduct including going into a bathroom with a student and making explicit comments such as telling a student “put your hand in my pocket.”
Bailey, 53, was arrested July 28 and charged with endangering a child and failure to report child abuse. She was released on bond.
During Tuesday’s press conference, Texas Department of Public Safety Regional Chief Jeremy Schrock applauded the Rangers for their swift investigation that resulted in the arrest of “two individuals that do not belong in Forney ISD or any other school district here in Texas.”
Schrock said DPS believes there are more victims and encouraged anyone with information to report it online via iWatchTexas or call the Garland Texas DPS office at 214-861-2000.
“I will tell you this is not the only case that we’re working that’s similar in nature here in the North Texas region,” Schrock added.
In addition to the criminal fraud charges, federal prosecutors reached a civil settlement with Forney ISD under the False Claims Act.
The settlement resolves allegations that the district submitted false or misleading certifications regarding compliance with mandatory reporting laws when applying for federal funding under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
“When ISDs violate federal grant conditions or fail to report abuse, which they’re required to do, we will act. The Forney ISD settlement, based on a False Claims Act penalty, acknowledges the district’s cooperation and reflects our commitment to keeping federal dollars in the classrooms,” said Raybould.
“But it also serves as a clear warning: other North Texas ISDs need to take note.”
Raybould encouraged North Texas school districts to voluntarily disclose any reporting failures within the past five years via USATXN.ProjectSafeSchools@usdoj.gov.
“Protecting children is not optional—it is the law,” said Raybould.
U.S. Attorneys in the state’s three other federal law enforcement districts may also establish disclosure systems for schools within their jurisdictions.
In July, the U.S. Department of Education announced a nationwide crackdown on sexual abuse in schools and threatened to withhold federal funding from districts caught “passing the trash.”
Previous coverage:
Feds Launch ‘Project Safe Schools’ Initiative in North Texas
Forney ISD Abuse Scandal Shows Texas Schools Still Passing the Trash
Forney ISD Removes Special Ed Teacher Over Misconduct Allegations
