$1 million cheating scandal leads to the arrest of a Texas High School basketball coach

By Aman Sharma

Modified Oct 31, 2024 05:13 GMT

In a major scandal shaking Texas high school sports, Vincent Grayson, head basketball coach at Booker T. Washington High School in Houston, was arrested for allegedly leading a $1 million scheme to fraudulently secure teaching certifications for unqualified individuals.

The alleged scheme, active since May 2020, involved at least five conspirators, with Grayson accused of orchestrating an operation that falsified reports of hundreds of tests.

Grayson, who gained local acclaim for leading his team to the UIL state championship in 2023, is alleged to have profited around $1.09 million by charging $2,500 per certification. Investigators report that some clients paid even higher fees to ensure their certifications.

According to Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg, Grayson facilitated certifications for over 200 teachers, with at least 400 tests completed fraudulently. Around 20 teachers have since admitted to participating in the scheme.

In addition to Grayson, Nicholas Newton and Darian Nikole Wilhite, along with a third Houston Independent School District (HISD) assistant principal, LaShonda Roberts has also been charged in connection with the operation.

Newton, 35, allegedly acted as a proxy test-taker for clients who would sign in at testing centers, and then leave before he completed their exams. Another individual implicated in the scheme is Tywana Gilford Mason, a former official at Houston Training and Education Center.

Ogg explained the wider impact, noting (per Click2Houston):

"The extent of this scheme will never be fully known, but we know that at least 400 tests were taken and at least 200 teachers falsely certified."

Mike Levine, felony chief of the Public Corruption Division in the District Attorney’s Office, said:

"It's very troubling. Because teachers — especially teachers and coaches who help influence children's behavior — we count on them for their moral compass. A part of what they do goes beyond their mastery of their subject matter."

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Mike Levine explains how Texas High school cheating ring was uncovered

According to Levine, the alleged scheme orchestrated by Houston basketball coach Vincent Grayson was exposed after fellow accomplice Nicholas Newton was caught taking a certification exam for another person in early 2024.

“In fact, when he was caught red-handed in February of 2024 he was logged into one test,” Levine said. “He said to investigators, ‘Well look at the screen behind you,’ and he was logged in as a different person taking another test on another terminal that same day.”

Grayson’s accomplices allegedly included former Houston Training and Education Center official Tywana Gifford Mason, who collected over $125,000, and proctor Darian Nikole Wilhite, who received $250 each time she facilitated test fraud. Assistant Principal LaShonda Roberts, accused of recruiting 90 teachers, reportedly sent Grayson $267,000.

“To me, the damage is not just to the education system, which is under great duress right now, but it’s actually to the families of the children who go to those schools, who trust the government to educate their kids and keep them safe for eight hours a day,” Ogg said.

Grayson, a Booker T. Washington High coach since 2003, had led his team to state success before this downfall, recently achieving a 27-5 season.