Dallas Independent School District has agreed to a $1 million civil settlement after US officials alleged it failed to report four investigations into sexual misconduct claims involving a former special education teacher.
The US Department of Justice said the district did not notify the Texas State Board for Educator Certification about allegations concerning Michael Roell, also known as Johnathan Michael, while he worked in Dallas between 2022 and 2024. The claims were later followed by allegations against him at Forney Independent School District.
Under the agreement announced on Tuesday, $145,000 will be paid as a penalty, while the remaining $855,000 will fund compliance reforms, including reporting audits, law-enforcement protocols and staff training. The settlement resolves allegations only and does not constitute an admission of civil liability by Dallas ISD. ([justice.gov](https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndtx/pr/project-safe-schools-investigation-uncovers-reporting-failures-dallas-isd-leading-1))
Dallas ISD accused of failing to report allegations
US Attorney Ryan Raybould said Dallas ISD opened four investigations into alleged misconduct involving minors but did not make the reports required under Texas law.
Federal officials said the district instead relied on its Title IX process, applying a higher evidential threshold before deciding that the allegations were unfounded. The Justice Department said state law required a report when evidence of covered misconduct was received, regardless of the outcome of a Title IX investigation.
Roell was allowed to resign in April 2024 rather than face termination and was placed on an internal Dallas ISD “Do Not Hire” list. Officials said that warning was not visible to other school districts, allowing him later to work in Plano and Forney.
One of the Dallas investigations followed a report from a Boy Scout who alleged that Roell had touched his genitals at a camp in Athens, Texas, in September 2023. The boy also alleged that Roell had touched other boys while serving as a scout leader.
The federal findings said allegations from an anonymous complainant, a parent and several administrators had met the threshold for reporting to state authorities. They were also handled internally rather than being referred directly to police, officials said. ([justice.gov](https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndtx/pr/project-safe-schools-investigation-uncovers-reporting-failures-dallas-isd-leading-1))
Reforms required under the settlement
Dallas ISD has agreed to establish formal arrangements with local law-enforcement agencies and the Texas Rangers, setting out responsibilities and reporting times when allegations of child abuse or educator misconduct arise.
The district must also introduce disclosure forms for applicants, contractors, substitutes and volunteers; display notices explaining child-abuse reporting duties; and provide annual training for staff involved in Title IX, human resources and misconduct investigations.
It will review every sexual misconduct allegation dating back to 2022 and submit the results to the Texas Education Agency. The measures form part of Project Safe Schools, a federal initiative launched in August to address failures in reporting educator misconduct across North Texas. ([justice.gov](https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndtx/pr/project-safe-schools-investigation-uncovers-reporting-failures-dallas-isd-leading-1))
Mr Raybould has separately written to school districts across North Texas, warning them to report immediately any sexual misconduct allegations from the past five years that may not have been disclosed.
Roell later charged after move to Forney
Roell was arrested in May 2026 and charged in Texas with two counts of injury to a child and one count of child grooming. A federal grand jury later indicted him and Wendy Bailey, a former principal at Forney ISD’s Crosby Elementary School, over alleged wire fraud and conspiracy connected with his recruitment.
Federal documents allege that Bailey knew about Roell’s previous arrest and later encouraged him to consider changing his name. Roell legally became Johnathan Michael in September 2025 and was subsequently hired by Forney ISD under that name.
Forney officials later received reports that he had touched a special-needs pupil and made sexually explicit comments to other children. The allegations came to police after a teaching aide informed the child’s parents, according to the Justice Department.
Roell has previously been acquitted of a 2016 charge of indecency with a child with sexual contact arising from his time at Garland ISD. The later criminal allegations and the claims described in the settlement have not been proved in court. ([justice.gov](https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndtx/media/1461851/dl?inline=&utm_source=openai))
