A Forney ISD elementary school is under new leadership after both its former principal and a special education teacher were arrested on charges connected to the abuse of a student with disabilities.
Texas Rangers investigators say Wendy Rachel Bailey, who served as principal at Crosby Elementary, recommended the hire of teacher Johnathan Michael despite evidence suggesting she knew about his troubled past. Michael is now facing charges of child grooming and two counts of injury to a child.
Court documents reveal that when a district official circulated Michael’s resume under his former legal name Michael Roell, Bailey responded by sending back a mugshot from his 2015 arrest, writing that the district should pass on him. Despite that reaction, investigators say phone records and emails show ongoing communication between Bailey and Michael both before and after he legally changed his name.
Bailey formally recommended Michael for hire on October 6th, 2025. Texas Education Agency records show the two had previously worked together in Garland ISD, where Michael had been tried and acquitted on a charge of indecency with a child. Bailey told investigators she did not know him.
Michael was assigned to a classroom at Crosby Elementary with nine students, the majority of whom were non-verbal. Investigators noted that he had expressed interest specifically in working with students who had communication challenges, which they say made the vulnerable population an intentional target.
On April 14th, 2026, two teacher’s aides reported to Bailey that Michael had inappropriately touched a child inside his classroom. Rather than contacting child protective services or alerting district administrators, Bailey responded by moving the student and one of the aides to a different room. No formal report was ever filed by Bailey.
Bailey now faces charges of failure to report abuse and endangering a child. She has been released on bond and declined to comment when approached by reporters.
Investigators say Michael had also been removed from teaching positions in both Dallas ISD and Denton ISD in connection with the broader investigation. The scope of his time working in North Texas classrooms has raised serious concerns among parents and child safety advocates across the region.
Forney ISD released a brief statement confirming the district is cooperating fully with law enforcement as the investigation remains active. District officials did not address how the hiring process failed to flag Michael’s background or why Bailey’s recommendation was not subjected to additional scrutiny.
The case has drawn attention to gaps in the screening process for educators with prior criminal histories, particularly those who change their legal names before applying for new positions in Texas school districts.
