Former Forney ISD educator arrested on child injury charges, has criminal history under different name
Forney ISD educator with criminal past charged with child injury
A former Forney ISD special education teacher, who has a criminal past under a different name, is facing multiple charges after allegedly getting physically violent with students in January and February of this year. FOX 4's Peyton Yager has more.
FORNEY, Texas - An arrest affidavit concerning a Forney ISD teacher reveals two incidents involving violence with special need students, as well as the suspect's previous criminal history when known by a different name at a different school district.
Forney ISD teacher arrested
Jonathan Michael
What we know:
Former Forney ISD special education teacher Jonathan Michael was arrested on May 29 by the Texas Rangers.
He's been charged with two counts of injury to a child and one count of child grooming.
An arrest affidavit states that Michael had two violent incidents with students while working at Crosby Elementary School, one in January 2026 and one in February 2026.
The affidavit states in one incident, Michael was upset with a student, and he "grabbed their right arm, twisted their wrist, and performed an armbar takedown." Michael also allegedly pushed the student into a bookshelf.
In another incident, Michael grabbed a student and "violently pulled him to the ground. The student nearly struck his head on a table on the way down." The affidavit says Michael then pinned the 8-year-old student down using his knee.
Forney ISD Police were given statements from staff that alleged Michael physically and sexually abused special education students at Crosby Elementary School.
Michael was removed from his position in April before his May arrest. Crosby Elementary School's principal was also fired.
Forney ISD told parents in an April letter that an educator was removed from the district, but did not mention Michael by name.
What we don't know:
We don't know the reason behind Michael's charge for child grooming.
Jonathan Michael past criminal history
Dig deeper:
Before working at Forney ISD, Jonathan Michael went by the name Michael Roell, and was employed by Garland ISD as a special education teacher.
In 2016, he was arrested on a charge of indecency to a child with sexual contact while working at Hudson Middle School.
Michael Roell in 2019
According to his own filings in an unsuccessful 2019 civil suit against Garland ISD, Michael was acquitted by a Dallas County jury. He complained the criminal allegations against him made him "virtually unemployable."
What they're saying:
Forney City Councilman James Traylor says he tried reaching out to the Texas Attorney General's Office to investigate how Michael was hired by Forney ISD.
He tells FOX 4's Peyton Yager their office referred him to the Texas Education Agency.
"We had a monster on the streets of Forney, and that's not ok," Traylor said. "Our kids deserve so much better than this."
What's next:
Michael remains in the Kaufman County Jail.
The Source: Information in this story comes from arrest affidavits, Forney ISD and FOX 4 reporting.