Harris County crime: Felony charges filed in massive teacher certification cheating scheme

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas - In a shocking announcement on Monday, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg revealed felony charges against five individuals accused of orchestrating an illegal cheating scheme that granted unearned certifications to hundreds of Texas teachers.

According to Mike Levine, a chief in the DA Office’s Public Corruption Division, the ringleader of the operation is believed to have grossed over $1 million through this elaborate scheme.

Who’s charged?

• Vincent Grayson, 57: Head boys basketball coach at Booker T. Washington High School in Houston ISD. Grayson is charged as the organizer of the cheating operation. He’s alleged to have made $1,090,000 off of the scheme.
• Tywana Gilford Mason, 51: Former director and VA certifying official at the Houston Training and Education Center. Mason allegedly used her position as a test proctor to keep the proxy scheme hidden. She’s alleged to have made $125,000 off the scheme. Records indicate Gilford Mason was prosecuted for Bribery in the early 2000’s.
• Nicholas Newton, 35: Assistant principal at Booker T. Washington High School. Newton is accused of participating in the scheme by acting as a proxy test-taker. He’s alleged to have made $188,000 off the scheme by taking 430 tests.
• Darian Nikole Wilhite, 22: A proctor at TACTIX who allegedly accepted bribes to enable Newton's actions as a testing proxy. It’s alleged he accepted $250 each time he allowed the testing to take place under his watch.
• LaShonda Roberts, 39: Assistant principal at Yates High School. Roberts is accused of recruiting nearly 100 teachers to take part in the cheating scheme. She’s alleged to have charged each teacher she recruited, some cases ‘in excess of $1,000’.

All five defendants face two counts of engaging in organized criminal activity.

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Levine says this activity spans back to 2020, but it was in 2023, that the Texas Education Agency noticed some irregularities at a testing location ‘HTECH’.

"Often these people had previously failed the exam, they then drove to the Houston area, and suddenly they were passing the test with flying colors," said Levine.

He said as TEA was investigating, they got a tip on the scheme which led to more concrete evidence.

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He says TEA shut down HTECH at this time, but Grayson did not shut down the scheme, and simply moved it to a different testing location, TACTIX, where he allegedly recruited Wilhite.

Levine says the paying teacher would come to the testing center, check in, show ID, then leave within five minutes. Newton would sit in their place and take the test.

He says they caught Newton red-handed taking a test in February 2024. He says Newton would often take more than one test at once.

As for the 200 teachers, who received the false certifications, information on them is limited.

Ogg did say that at least two of them have been identified as sexual predators, being charged with sexual crimes.

"Once falsely certified had access through their employment to underage kids off campus and off. One has been charged with indecency with a child, the other, online solicitation," she said.

HISD held a last-minute press conference Monday to address media questions. They say all three HISD employees charged are on paid leave, and they knew nothing of these acts or investigation until "very shortly" before the arrests.

They confirm that HISD police helped organize some of the arrests. They say they are not aware at this time if any fraudulently certified teachers are employed within the district.

HISD sent this official statement:

"HISD was made aware of the investigation into an alleged cheating conspiracy shortly before arrests were made. Any educator who engages in conduct of this nature abdicates their responsibility to our students and to our staff and represents a complete betrayal of the public trust. HISD will cooperate fully with the Texas Education Agency and state and local law enforcement as the investigation progresses. All three of these employees have been arrested and will be receiving notifications relieving them of their duties effective immediately.

Additionally, if it is determined that any teachers currently working in HISD participated in this scheme or passed their certification exams fraudulently, we will take swift action to terminate their employment with the district."

TEA is the agency who the DA says will be looking through the list of 200 falsely certified teachers. 

TEA responded to our list of questions with this statement:

"In accordance with State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) rules, TEA will review any and all information shared by law enforcement and pursue appropriate action against any educator involved in this scheme. The SBEC will make a final determination on possible sanctions."