In a recent development, the assistant principal of Jack Yates High School, who was involved in a fraudulent teacher-certification scheme worth millions of dollars, made a court appearance on Monday evening. This comes after Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced the arrest of the assistant principal.+
LaShonda Roberts, along with five others, has been taken into custody, facing charges for their alleged involvement in a teacher-certification scheme that enabled unqualified educators to secure positions within local school districts.
Roberts, who currently faces two charges of engaging in organized criminal activity, was not present in court on Monday evening. Instead, her attorney represented her during the proceedings. On Tuesday afternoon, the judge reduced her bond from $100,000 to $25,000 for each case. The judge also ordered that if she is able to post bail, she must have no contact with the other four individuals involved in the scheme.
Roberts’ lawyer, Brandon Leonard, requested a $1,000 bond for each case, asserting that his client posed no threat to the community and had not committed a violent offense. Leonard also pointed out that Roberts has been facing financial difficulties after losing her job. However, the judge ultimately rejected his plea.
Leonard mentioned that his client was taken aback by the unexpected arrest and being placed in custody. He emphasized that she was apprehended while on the premises of Jack Yates High School.
Roberts is anticipated to return to court on Friday.
During a news conference on Monday, District Attorney Ogg announced that from May 2020 to February 2024, Roberts and four others had falsified credentials in order to secure teaching positions for individuals who did not meet the certification requirements.
These are the individuals who took part in the scheme:
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Vincent Grayson, 57, the head boys basketball coach at Booker T. Washington High School in Houston ISD for nearly 20 years. Grayson was charged as the organizer of the cheating scheme.
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Tywana Gilford Mason, 51, the former director/VA certifying official at the Houston Training and Education Center. Mason’s role as test proctor allowed her to keep the proxy scheme undetected.
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Nicholas Newton, 35, an assistant principal at Booker T. Washington High School in Houston ISD. Newton is alleged to have participated in the scheme as the proxy test-taker.
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Darian Nikole Wilhite, 22, a proctor at TACTIX who is alleged to have taken bribes to allow Newton to act as a testing proxy.
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LaShonda Roberts, 39, an assistant principal at Yates High School in Houston ISD. Roberts is charged with recruiting nearly 100 teachers to participate in the cheating scheme.
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Tywana Gilford Mason, 51, previously held the position of director/VA certifying official at the Houston Training and Education Center. In her role as a test proctor, Mason was able to discreetly carry out the proxy scheme without detection.
Darian Nikole Wilhite, 22, a proctor at TACTIX, is accused of accepting bribes to enable Newton to act as a testing proxy.
