Dallas ISD Agrees to $1 Million Settlement Over Educator Misconduct Reporting Failures
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Texas announced on October 20 that Dallas Independent School District has agreed to a $1 million civil settlement resolving federal allegations that it falsely certified compliance with Texas laws requiring the reporting of educator misconduct while receiving federal special-education funds. Of the total, $145,000 is a penalty and $855,000 will fund district-wide reforms.
The Justice Department says that between 2022 and 2024 the district opened four investigations into former special-education teacher Michael Roell, also known as Johnathan Michael, over alleged sexual misconduct involving minors, found the claims "unfounded" under the higher federal Title IX standard, and never reported them to the State Board for Educator Certification. In April 2024 the district allowed him to resign and placed him only on an internal do-not-hire list.
Roell later taught in Plano ISD and Forney ISD, was arrested on child-abuse and grooming charges, and was federally indicted in September 2026 for wire fraud, according to the Justice Department. The case is the second enforcement action under the department's Project Safe Schools initiative.
The settlement resolves civil allegations only; the Justice Department notes there has been no determination of civil liability. (GSM, via the Department of Justice)
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
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