A former Forney ISD special education teacher who was removed from the classroom earlier this year as part of a multi-agency investigation has now been arrested and charged with multiple felony offenses.
Jonathan Michael, 45, was arrested on May 29 by the Texas Rangers and booked into the Kaufman County Jail. He is charged with two counts of injury to a child and one count of child grooming, according to arrest records.
The charges stem from allegations that Michael physically assaulted two special education students at Crosby Elementary School in separate incidents in January and February 2026. Court documents do not specify the basis for the child grooming charge.
Michael’s arrest follows a district investigation reported by The Dallas Express in May, when Forney ISD announced that a teacher, several classroom aides and the Crosby Elementary principal had been removed from their positions after allegations of misconduct surfaced.
According to an arrest affidavit, investigators reviewed classroom surveillance video showing Michael allegedly using excessive force against two children.
In one incident, investigators said Michael became upset with a student, grabbed the child’s arm, twisted the student’s wrist and performed an “armbar takedown” before pushing the student into a bookshelf.
In a separate incident, the affidavit alleges Michael grabbed an 8-year-old student by a backpack or jacket, violently pulled the child to the floor and pinned the student down with his knee. Investigators said the child narrowly missed striking their head on a nearby table.
The affidavit also states that Forney ISD police received statements from staff alleging Michael physically and sexually abused special education students while employed at Crosby Elementary.
District Says Teacher Used Different Name During Hiring
During the investigation, Forney ISD discovered Michael had legally changed his name before joining the district in October 2025.
Public records show he was previously known as Michael Roell, a former Garland ISD special education teacher who was arrested in 2016 on a charge of indecency with a child involving sexual contact.
According to court records and Michael’s own filings in a 2019 civil lawsuit against Garland ISD, he was acquitted of that charge by a Dallas County jury.
Forney ISD has said Michael passed all required fingerprint background checks through the Texas Department of Public Safety and the FBI and held a valid teaching certificate at the time he was hired. District officials said they were unaware of his previous criminal case because it had been filed under his former legal name.
The district removed Michael from his position in April after learning of the allegations. Several classroom aides and the Crosby Elementary Principal were also removed from their positions. Officials have said none of those employees will return to the district.
“He is no longer an employee of Forney ISD,” the district said in a statement, per WFAA. “We have no statements at this time.”
Investigation Began Earlier This Year
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Forney ISD notified families in May that a multi-agency investigation had been launched after allegations of misconduct involving a teacher were reported. The district immediately contacted law enforcement, Child Protective Services, and the Texas Education Agency, and said it was cooperating fully with investigators.
Because of student privacy laws, district officials did not initially identify the teacher involved.
Forney City Councilman James Traylor has since called for additional scrutiny into the hiring process, questioning how Michael was able to obtain employment after changing his legal name.
“Our kids deserve so much better than this,” Traylor told Fox 4 KDFW.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Provided by Dallas Express
