Story thread · 6 reports / 4 sources

Former Forney principal arrested after teacher charged with abuse, documents say

nbcdfw.com · 4dShare

A Forney ISD elementary school is starting the year under new leadership following the arrest of its principal and a special education teacher. Arrest documents shed new light on how a formerly charged teacher was hired on at Crosby Elementary before Johnathan Michael was again arrested for abusing a student. In an arrest warrant obtained by NBC 5, Texas Rangers say it was Crosby’s principal at the time, Wendy Rachel Bailey, who recommended Michael for hire. It says TEA records show the two previously worked together in Garland ISD, the district where he was tried and later acquitted for indecency with a child. At that time, Michael’s name was legally Michael Roell. According to the documents, Bailey said she didn’t know him. The warrant states that when a district official emailed campuses with Michael’s resume, submitted using his old name, Bailey responded with a mugshot from his 2015 arrest, writing “No thank you lololol. Let’s try again.” In the days that followed, investigators s

First report: Forney ISD principal was aware of special education teacher's past arrest, failed to report abuse allegations — fox4news.com, 5d