Johnathan Michael and Wendy Bailey
Introduction
Wendy Bailey, a former principal in Forney Independent School District in Texas, and Johnathan Michael — a special education teacher who was formerly named Michael Raymond Roell — were indicted on 16 September 2026 on federal charges of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and six counts of wire fraud each, per the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas. Prosecutors allege the two conspired to conceal the teacher’s identity and history during his hiring by the district. Both have been charged but not tried: an indictment is an accusation, and both are presumed innocent.
Background Information
Michael, formerly Michael Raymond Roell, legally changed his name to Johnathan Michael. His teaching career in Texas includes an earlier and decisive episode: in June 2016 he was arrested on a charge of indecency with a child involving sexual contact, which led to his firing from Garland ISD. A Dallas County jury later acquitted him of that charge. Bailey, meanwhile, served as a principal in Forney ISD. Their paths converged at Forney ISD’s Crosby Elementary School, where Roell — under his new name — was hired in October 2025 as a special education teacher earning about $67,700 a year, and where he remained employed into spring 2026. The federal case, as indicted, centres on that 2025 hiring.
The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation
Allegations. The claims in this section come from a federal indictment and related civil findings, as reported. Michael (formerly Michael Raymond Roell) and Bailey have been charged but not tried: an indictment is an accusation, and both are presumed innocent. The separate state-case allegations described are unproven; the 2016 charge against Roell ended in acquittal.
Per the indictment, Roell applied to Forney ISD without disclosing his former identity, the 2016 charge, or portions of his employment and disciplinary history. Prosecutors allege Bailey knew about Roell’s arrest and employment history, encouraged him to change his name, and helped move his application through the district’s hiring process. District officials said fingerprint checks run under his new name did not reveal the previous case, and administrators were unaware of it when he was hired. The indictment cites emails, texts and employment documents prosecutors say show coordination to conceal his history.
The 2016 matter itself was resolved in Roell’s favour: he was arrested in June 2016, charged with indecency with a child involving sexual contact, and fired from Garland ISD — and a Dallas County jury later acquitted him. The acquittal is the legal outcome of that case.
Federal court records say Bailey learned in January 2026 about allegations that Roell had abused a student at Crosby Elementary. Prosecutors allege additional concerns were brought to the district; the reported account ends there, and what followed has not been made part of the public record.
Separately, on the civil and administrative side: Forney ISD agreed to pay $14,308 to settle allegations that it falsely certified compliance with mandatory reporting laws while seeking federal special education funding. Separate state cases involve allegations of abuse and failures to report misconduct — those remain allegations only, unproven.
Public Reaction and Consequences
The indictment of a sitting or recently employed teacher and a former principal, nine days after the alleged events of January came into the federal record, put the district’s hiring safeguards under public scrutiny: the account that fingerprint checks under a legal name change did not surface the earlier case is the detail on which the alleged concealment turned. The recorded consequences to date are the federal charges themselves — seven counts each for Michael and Bailey — and the district’s settlement of $14,308 over its special education funding certifications. The abuse allegations against Roell at Crosby, and the state cases, remain at the level of allegation, with no reported adjudication.
Current Status
Michael and Bailey face one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and six counts of wire fraud each in the Northern District of Texas; as of the available reporting they have been indicted, not tried, and are presumed innocent. Michael’s employment at Crosby Elementary continued into spring 2026; what became of it after the indictment is not stated in the available coverage. The 2016 charge is closed by acquittal. The civil settlement with the district is agreed and paid. The state cases and the Crosby allegations remain unproven allegations.
Impact on Their Career/Life
For both defendants, a federal indictment on seven counts each marks the transformation of a hiring dispute into criminal litigation, with the government alleging that emails, texts and employment documents show coordination to conceal a teacher’s history. Michael’s position as a special education teacher — the role the alleged scheme was designed to secure — and Bailey’s standing as a former principal both now sit alongside unresolved federal charges. Whatever the trial brings, the case has already produced one settled finding against the district itself: the $14,308 settlement over compliance certifications made while seeking federal special education funding.
Sources
- Yahoo News, “Former Forney ISD principal, teacher indicted”, 18 September 2026. source