News Type
TEA Media Contact
Texas Education Agency Places 21 Individuals on Do Not Hire Registry
AUSTIN, Texas – May 8, 2026 – The Texas Education Agency (TEA) today announced that 21 individuals have been added to the Do Not Hire Registry, reinforcing TEA’s zero-tolerance policy toward misconduct that threatens the safety of Texas students.
Under the expanded authority granted by Senate Bill 571, the Commissioner can now place non-certified employees and third-party service providers on the Do Not Hire Registry after a qualifying arrest. These placements reflect coordinated enforcement between TEA’s Educator Investigations and Enforcement divisions and state and local law enforcement agencies.
The following 21 non-certified individuals are now barred from employment in Texas public schools pending the conclusion of their criminal proceedings and will not be permitted to teach or otherwise work in any capacity that involves contact with students while their cases are pending. If convicted, placement on the registry will become permanent by operation of law.
| William Anthony Blackburn |
| Casie Booty |
| Teddy Coleman |
| Andrew Collier |
| Juana Estrada |
| Jeanet Hernandez |
| Rafael Hinojosa |
| Latoya Jackson |
| Shonterrick Johnson |
| Maria Jolley |
| Jherson Manuel |
| Dwight Merrell |
| Sade Muhammad |
| Jonathan Okray |
| Lee Rios |
| William Ritz |
| Kimberlie Rodriguez |
| Richa Sharma |
| Jordan Smith |
| Skyler Stricker |
| Kyisha Wright |
“Thanks to the swift and decisive actions of our investigations division and law enforcement partners, these individuals have been removed from Texas public schools. Student safety is our top priority, and these actions prevent individuals who have been accused of a crime from being allowed in our schools while criminal proceedings are pending,” said Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath.
“The Do Not Hire Registry is crucial in preventing individuals accused of serious misconduct from moving between school systems and continuing to have access to students,” said Inspector General for Educator Misconduct Levi Fuller. “Our teams are working aggressively, alongside our law enforcement partners, to identify and act on cases that pose a risk to student safety.”
TEA, in partnership with state and local law enforcement, will continue to pursue educator misconduct cases diligently and without hesitation. Additional cases are currently under review, and more placements on the registry are expected in the coming weeks as investigations continue.
TEA urges any individual with information regarding educator or school employee misconduct to report it immediately to local law enforcement and the agency.
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