Some Houston-area educators have been relieved of duty after charges that they participated in a teacher-certification cheating scheme. Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg’s bombshell announcement that criminal charges would be filed against five people allowed more than 210 unqualified teachers to work in local school districts. Houston ISD officials say the three of their employees, who have been arrested, are relieved pending further investigation.
The educators include Vincent Grayson, the head boys basketball coach at Booker T. Washington where he’s worked for nearly 20 years; Nicholas Newton, assistant principal at Booker T. Washington; and LaShonda Roberts, assistant principal at Yates High School.
HOW THE SCHEME WORKED
According to Mike Levine, of the DA’s Public Corruption Division, this scheme was used to certify more than 200 unqualified teachers all now practicing or having practiced here in our Texas public schools and in districts across the state. Levine says Grayson grossed more than $1 million from the scheme.
“Vincent Grayson is the kingpin. He’s made $1,090,000 from this scheme, as best we can tell,” Levine said.
Earlier this year, Grayson was nominated for High School Coach of the Year at the Houston Sports Awards. He was described to have had an impact on the basketball court at Booker T. Washington High School, leading the team to their first-ever UIL state tournament in 2023, a significant milestone for the high school.
Levine said candidates would pay Grayson around $2,500. He then would forward roughly 20% of that money to Tywana Gilford Mason, an employee of H-TEC (Houston Training and Education Center), who served as the proctor who allowed an impersonator to sit for the exams instead of the actual teacher applicants.
Grayson would then allegedly instruct the candidate where and when to take the test. They would come, show ID, sign in and leave, Levine stated.
A few minutes later, Newton, the proxy tester, would reportedly sit in their seat, take and pass the test.
Darian Nikole Wilhite reportedly acted as a “corrupt” testing proctor at one of the centers. Roberts is charged as a recruiter and referral agent who brought in roughly 100 individuals who sought the services of the “impersonator test taker.”
HISD STATEMENT
The district released a statement following the arrests:
“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.”
“People hate public corruption because generally, it involves theft of taxpayer money; money that we’ve collectively entrusted to those we elect and to those that we hire to be our government,” said Ogg. “And these kinds of crimes weaken the public’s trust in the government itself. But this case is worse than that.”
THE CHARGES
Ogg said the five people who have been charged with two counts each of engaging in organized criminal activity, will face first- or third-degree felony charges that can carry sentences ranging from two years to life in prison.
Worse yet, according to Ogg, of the 200-plus teachers who received allegedly fraudulent teacher certifications, at least two are convicted sexual predators who once falsely certified had access through their employment to under-aged children, on campus and off.
“One has been charged with indecency with a child; another, with online solicitation,” said Ogg.
Ogg said the extent of this reported “scheme,” which goes back as far as May 2020, will never be fully known.
“But we know that at least 400 tests were taken and at least 200 teachers falsely certified. We know that co-defendants collectively profited in the amount of at least $1 million,” added Ogg.
