Texas Principal Indicted for Aiding Teacher with Abuse History Obtain Special Education Job
Authorities allege the former principal helped a teacher conceal a history of child abuse allegations and disciplinary issues to secure a teaching position.
A former elementary school principal in Texas has been indicted on federal wire fraud charges for allegedly assisting a teacher with a history of child abuse accusations in obtaining a special education teaching job. Prosecutors allege that Wendy Bailey, the former principal of Crosby Elementary School, helped Michael Raymond Roell, who was using the alias Johnathan Michael, conceal his past criminal charges and disciplinary problems.
US Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould stated that the scheme allowed Roell to work as a special education teacher, earning approximately $67,700 annually, despite a history of alleged misconduct. "A school is supposed to be a place where children are safe and protected, not a place where an educator with a known history of misconduct can walk back into a classroom because someone in a position of authority helped him hide who he really was – a predator that targets special needs children," Raybould said.
The indictment alleges that Bailey coached Roell on how a legal name change would allow him to evade background checks. Roell legally changed his name from Michael Raymond Roell to Johnathan Michael before applying to the Forney Independent School District. Prosecutors claim that with Bailey's encouragement, he submitted an application that omitted his previous identity, criminal charges, and disciplinary history. Bailey allegedly used her position as principal to advocate for his hiring, with emails and text messages revealing their coordination to conceal information.
Roell's past includes an arrest on June 6, 2016, in Dallas County, where he was charged with indecency with a child after allegations involving a student while he was employed by Garland Independent School District. He was subsequently terminated by Garland ISD. Prosecutors also stated that Roell had faced multiple instances of being placed on leave for abuse-related allegations at other school districts.
Despite this history, Roell, under his new legal name, was hired in October 2025 to teach special education at Crosby Elementary School. His tenure was short-lived, however. In May 2026, Texas Rangers arrested Roell on separate state charges of felony child abuse and grooming, which led to the federal investigation and the current indictment.
The federal charges against Bailey and Roell specifically address the alleged deception during the hiring process. If convicted, both face up to 20 years in prison and potential forfeiture of proceeds related to the offenses. The investigation was a collaboration involving the FBI's Dallas Field Office, Homeland Security Investigations Dallas, and the Texas Rangers, operating as part of Project Safe Schools, an initiative aimed at preventing educators with misconduct records from moving between districts without their full history being known.