Federal prosecutors are scheduled to announce a settlement involving Dallas Independent School District on Tuesday morning as part of a federal initiative targeting educator misconduct and failures to report allegations of abuse.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas will disclose details of the agreement during a 10:30 a.m. news conference in Dallas, according to information reported Tuesday morning by CBS News Texas. The settlement is connected to Project Safe Schools, although federal officials have not yet disclosed its specific terms.
Federal Initiative Targets Educator Misconduct
U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould launched Project Safe Schools on August 18 to address failures to report educator misconduct and prevent school employees with known misconduct histories from moving between campuses or districts without disclosure.
The initiative coordinates federal and state resources to enforce reporting requirements and investigate alleged misconduct involving school personnel.
According to the Justice Department, the Texas Education Agency opened more than 9,720 educator-misconduct investigations over the preceding two years, resulting in hundreds of disciplinary actions and placements on the state’s Do Not Hire registry.
“Protecting children is not optional—it is the law,” Raybould said when announcing the initiative.
Project Safe Schools also targets a practice commonly called “passing the trash,” in which educators with misconduct histories obtain positions at other schools without their backgrounds being adequately disclosed.
Previous Settlement Involved Forney ISD
The Dallas ISD announcement follows an earlier federal settlement involving Forney ISD.
In August, Forney ISD agreed to pay $14,308 and implement additional compliance measures to resolve allegations that the district submitted false or misleading certifications concerning mandatory reporting requirements while seeking federal special education funding.
The settlement was announced under the federal False Claims Act, according to the Justice Department’s release.
The department emphasized that the civil allegations were resolved without a determination of liability.
Separately, a federal grand jury indicted former Forney ISD Principal Wendy Bailey and teacher Michael Raymond Roell, also known as Johnathan Michael, in September.
Prosecutors allege the pair participated in a scheme to conceal Roell’s identity and prior misconduct history to secure his employment as a special education teacher.
Both defendants face federal wire fraud and conspiracy charges. The allegations have not been proven in court, and both defendants are presumed innocent unless convicted.
Dallas ISD Previously Faced Questions About Misconduct Records
The upcoming federal settlement comes as longstanding questions concerning educator misconduct within Dallas ISD remain.
A January 2025 investigation by The Dallas Express examined records from the Texas Public School Teacher Discipline database maintained by the Open Records Project.
The examination identified approximately 150 educator-misconduct records involving a sexual element, including cases classified as sexual misconduct in schools, inappropriate relationships with students or minors, and sexual harassment.
The records covered investigations with intake dates between 2021 and 2024. Some contained redacted identities or lacked information identifying the campuses involved.
Those historical records have not been publicly connected to Tuesday’s settlement announcement.
Settlement Terms Remain Undisclosed
The Justice Department has not publicly specified whether the Dallas ISD agreement includes financial penalties, additional reporting obligations, revised compliance procedures, or other measures.
It also remains unclear what specific conduct prompted the settlement or whether the district voluntarily disclosed potential reporting violations.
Under Project Safe Schools, federal officials have encouraged North Texas school districts to review their reporting practices and voluntarily disclose potential failures involving educator misconduct within the previous five years.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is expected to provide additional information during Tuesday’s news conference.
