Million-dollar teacher cheating scandal' | District attorney announces 5 people charged
HOUSTON, Texas — Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced Monday that charges had been filed in a massive teacher certification cheating ring that led to unqualified teachers in classrooms not only in the Houston area but across the state.
Ogg said at least five people have already been charged in the alleged million-dollar teacher cheating scandal that led to illegally certified teachers working in Texas school districts.
Investigators said the teachers would use a test-taking proxy, or a person impersonating the teacher, as well as a fake test administrator to take and pass the tests required for certification.
According to Ogg, two of the people who paid to have the fake certification ended up being charged with crimes against children. She said one was charged with indecency with a child and another was charged with online solicitation of a minor.
"It was the access through the certification that was false that allowed them to commit the crimes," Ogg said.
Investigators said there were as many as 400 bogus test results that resulted in 200 teachers getting unearned certifications statewide.
Prosecutor Mike Levine said he thinks the ring's kingpin, the head boys basketball coach at Booker T. Washington High School, made more than $1 million from the scheme. Levine said the kingpin charged $2,500 per fake certification but some people paid more due to middlemen.
https://www.khou.com/article/news/crime/teacher-certification-cheating-scandal/285-683ee1df-c76f-4d7b-9428-d9871109f006