Texas Reels From $1M Teacher Certification Scam That Mainly Impacted Black Classrooms

Five people have been charged for their involvement in the $1 million teacher certification scam in Texas.

The Texas educational community continues to reel from the teacher certification scam that has mainly impacted Black classrooms.

Over 200 teachers allegedly paid others to take their state certification exams for them, CNN reported. As prosecutors investigate to uncover those involved in the scandal, diverse student populations are experiencing the greatest impact.

“The most important thing to me is the ringleaders have been identified and are being rooted out of our home school district … and the fact that they held positions of power there, where they were held in esteem by the children, is the very worst part of this crime,” explained Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg. “They didn’t deserve those kids’ respect and I think it leaves children feeling betrayed, not knowing who to trust.”

Among those arrested was Vincent Grayson, a teacher and basketball coach at the historically Black Booker T. Washington high school. Prosecutors say Grayson was the scheme’s ringleader. Also arrested was the school’s assistant principal, Nicholas Newton, who was the alleged test taker.

LaShonda Roberts, the assistant principal at another historically Black high school, Yates, was arrested for her alleged role as the recruiter for prospective teachers. Five defendants, including two others who worked as proctors of the exam, face charges for their involvement.

The schools are part of the Houston Independent School District (HISD), and were designated for Black students before desegregation occurred throughout Texas. HISD hosts nearly 2,000 students, primarily identifying as Black and Hispanic, and serves as the largest school district in the state.

As for the defendants, their charges include two counts of engaging in organized criminal activity. They face a felony count for money laundering, and another count for tampering with a government document by falsifying statements.

Grayson has been released on bail following his arrest. Neither he nor the other defendants have entered pleas. However, Grayson’s attorney emphasized his presumed innocence as they await evidence from the prosecution.

“The state has the burden to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt. Mr. Grayson is presumed innocent at this period of time, and so we’ll wait and receive … what evidence they have against him to allow us to evaluate what we should do next,” explained his attorney, Cheryl Irvin.

According to the prosecutors, Grayson allegedly made over $1 million. According to court papers, he charged teaching candidates $2,500 to have someone else pass the exam for them.

The scheme began to unravel in 2023 as the Texas Education Agency noticed irregularities at the Houston testing center. A former coach in the district informed authorities of the scam following “an attack of conscience.”

“The most interesting irony to me in this circle of greed is that in spite of the perpetrators being the type of people that we trust our kids with… It was actually a good Samaritan with a conscience that brought this scheme to light,” expressed Ogg.

In February 2024, Newton was finally caught. Prosecutors believe the scheme had been ongoing since May 2020. They believe that these falsely-certified teachers are scattered throughout the state, making it harder to track down.

Ogg also shared that some of those participants were sexual predators. Now, the district and all of Texas public schools are struggling to fully trust the educators in their state.

“Teachers and coaches who help influence children’s behavior, we count on them for their moral compass,” said felony chief prosecutor Mike Levine. “To think that this many people without what I would consider a proper moral compass were trying to educate and influence children all across the state is definitely troubling.”