In the aftermath of the arrest of former Klein Independent School District cosmetology teacher Kedria Grigsby and her son, Roger Magee, on charges related to sex trafficking, some community activists have called for a more thorough investigation into the handling of the case.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Grigsby, 42, taught courses at Klein Cain High School in Harris County and is accused of forcing prostitution onto three students who were reportedly runaways, aged 15, 16, and 17. Her son, Roger, was previously arrested on similar charges.
During a press conference held Thursday morning, community activists Quanell X and Candice Matthews disclosed the existence of a potential whistleblower who had reportedly alerted the school about Grigsby and Magee’s alleged involvement in sex crimes a year prior.
“This don’t [sic] pass the smell test; all of y’all should be fired,” said Quanell X.
According to Fox 26 Houston, a sworn statement dated February 2023, reportedly provided by a former district teacher who chose to remain anonymous, said that Grigsby and Magee were implicated in alleged sex crimes involving minors. The statement revealed that one of the alleged victims was the whistleblower’s daughter, who had apparently befriended Magee.
Fox 26 reported the statement was obtained as a copy of an email sent by the former teacher to the district.
The private statement further alleges that despite these serious accusations, Grigsby continued teaching at the school. The anonymous teacher claimed that a district administrator pressured them to resign or face termination after bringing the issue to light, per Fox 26.
Matthews emphasized during the press conference the importance of ensuring the safety of children in the school district.
“Our children deserve the right to be in a school district where they are safe and protected,” she said.
However, some have found fault with the activists who are speaking out.
Journalist Aubrey Taylor claims that Matthews lied about earning a Ph.D. in Education from the University of Southern California on an application for a Child Care Administrator license. He reported that the associate registrar of USC confirmed that Matthews never attended the college. On her website, Matthews says she was awarded an “honorary doctorate in humanities from Leaders Esteemed Bible University.”
Quanell X, leader of the New Black Panther Nation and a spokesperson for the Nations of Islam, reportedly has a lengthy criminal history. He also recently settled a lawsuit for $345,000 with families who claimed he did not provide advocacy services for which they had paid him.
Klein ISD’s director of communications, Chelsea Ceballos, denied the activists’ claims via a public statement.
“Once again, the information shared by Quanell X and Candace Matthews is completely false. The facts are that an individual notified us that she filed a report in Harris County related to former employee Keidra Grigsby in February 2023.
“That same day, our Klein ISD Police Department immediately contacted the Sheriff’s Office with the case number provided to us by the individual, and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office reported that Keidra Grigsby was not a suspect.
“The next time we heard anything related to Keidra Grigsby was this Monday when the Sheriff’s Office contacted our police department regarding pending charges. The Klein Police Department then immediately apprehended Keidra Grigsby and assisted the Sheriff’s Office with her arrest,” the statement concluded.
Per a recent report from The Dallas Express, more than 100 cases were documented in Texas last year in which an educator was arrested or convicted for sexual crimes involving children.
