Overview
- A federal grand jury returned a seven-count indictment on Sept. 18 charging former Crosby Elementary principal Wendy Bailey and special-education teacher Michael Raymond Roell with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and six counts of wire fraud.
- Prosecutors say Bailey coached Roell to legally change his name and to omit prior charges and disciplinary history from his Forney ISD application, using emails, texts and hiring documents to advance his candidacy.
- Roell was hired by Forney ISD in October 2025 under the name Johnathan Michael and was later arrested by the Texas Rangers in May 2026 on state counts of injury to a child and child grooming; federal authorities say he has been in federal custody since late August.
- Forney ISD agreed to a Department of Justice settlement that requires the district to pay fines and adopt enhanced mandatory-reporting and hiring compliance measures after federal review found failures in how allegations were handled.
- The case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Schools to curb 'passing the trash,' and if convicted the defendants face up to 20 years in prison and potential forfeiture while families and staff continue to contend with alleged abuse and reporting breakdowns.