Forney Independent School District has “removed” a special education teacher and multiple aides from Crosby Elementary amid a “multi-agency investigation” of misconduct allegations.
The school’s principal, Wendy Bailey, is also “no longer with the district,” according to Forney ISD.
Forney City Councilman James Traylor identified the teacher as Johnathan Michael, formerly known as Michael Roell, in an April 29 letter asking Attorney General Ken Paxton to investigate the matter.
In 2016, then-35-year-old Roell was accused of sexually abusing special education students at Hudson Middle School in Garland ISD.
Forney ISD notified Crosby families on April 29 about the new misconduct allegations but did not name the teacher.
According to the district, “the conduct described in these allegations is completely unacceptable and does not meet the standards we set for our staff.”
Upon learning of these allegations, the teacher was immediately removed. The aides involved were removed from the campus within 48 hours. The principal is also no longer with the district. None will be returning to the district.
The District notified law enforcement and CPS immediately upon receiving the allegations and reported the misconduct to the TEA. We are fully cooperating with the Forney ISD Police Department, Child Protective Services (CPS), and state agencies as they conduct a thorough investigation into this matter.
Forney ISD said they hired the teacher in October 2025 under one name “with a clean DPS and FBI fingerprint background check and clean certification,” so the district “had no knowledge of any prior issues.”
“Through this recent investigation, it was discovered that prior to being hired in Forney ISD the teacher had legally changed his name,” the district stated. “Before applying with the District and under his prior name, he faced charges where he was acquitted.”
According to the Texas Education Agency, teachers are required to undergo fingerprint-based national criminal history checks to “ensure that individuals working in schools meet high standards of safety and professionalism—so families can feel confident that their children are supported by qualified, trustworthy adults every day.”
It’s unclear how Roell’s name change affected a fingerprint-based check.
Teacher applicants are also required to disclose if they have ever been “investigated by a law enforcement or child protective services agency for, or charged with, adjudicated for, or convicted of” sexual misconduct involving a student or minor.
“Because the safety of children is at issue, I respectfully ask that your office determine whether any prior complaints existed, whether any district or agency failed to report concerns, and whether a name change was used to obscure a history of misconduct,” Traylor wrote to Paxton.
Traylor asked Paxton’s office to investigate whether 1) Roell/Michael has a documented history of sexual misconduct, 2) Forney ISD or any other districts failed to report suspected misconduct by the teacher, 3) any agencies missed or failed to act on warning signs, 4) the teacher changed his name to avoid background checks, and 5) there are additional potential victims.
Teacher discipline data published by the Open Records Project shows Roell was reported by CPS for in-school sexual abuse in January 2024, while working for Plano ISD.
There is no record of a teaching certificate issued to Michael Roell. State records show Johnathan Michael has held a Texas teaching certificate since 2008. He renewed his certification in March as a generalist and special education teacher.
Over the past few years, a growing number of Texas school employees have been accused of sex crimes involving students and other children, and thousands of educators have been reported to the TEA for sexual misconduct.
Texas Scorecard maintains a map of known educator sexual misconduct arrests.
