Amber Pathak -

Amber Pathak

Associate

Biography

Amber Pathak is a skilled and seasoned trial attorney who began her legal career as a prosecutor with practice experience in Texas and New Mexico. Amber’s favorite part of her job as a prosecutor was being able to help individuals who were wronged. Amber began her career as a family lawyer taking on a role assisting survivors of abuse at a local domestic violence shelter. During her time working in the non-profit sector, Amber became known for her steadfast dedication to advocating for her clients. Amber prides herself in using a creative approach and customized strategy to obtain meaningful results and is passionate about fighting for what is right, especially in situations involving children and abuse.

Amber has conducted 43 trials throughout her career as a prosecutor and family law attorney with 47% of those trials involving a jury. Amber provided support to many clients as the lead attorney in countless other contested hearings. Amber is also proficient in drafting unique language to achieve results that are best for the family as a whole and finds satisfaction in the ability to curate customized and workable solutions for individuals facing family law issues.

Amber believes that growth and increasing knowledge are of utmost importance and shows humility through her openness to learning from all individuals and situations. Amber is an effective negotiator with success in settling difficult and contentious cases. Amber has completed Basic Mediation Training and Advanced Family Law Mediation Training and is qualified to mediate cases. Amber uses these mediations skills while representing clients during mediations and in obtaining settlements.

Amber leads with empathy, giving her the ability to relate to people from a wide array of backgrounds. Amber is fluent in Spanish, can speak Gujarati, and understands Hindi.

Amber grew up in West Plano and attended Texas Tech University where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish with a minor focus in philosophy. During her time at Texas Tech University, Amber was an active member of Delta Kappa Delta Sorority, Inc., holding several leadership roles. Amber obtained a scholarship and attended Texas Wesleyan University School of Law – now Texas A&M University School of Law.

In her free time, Amber enjoys spending time outdoors, traveling, photography, practicing yoga, and spending time with her husband and two rescue dogs.

Speaking Engagements

Professional Associations

Publications

Bar Admissions

Location

Highland Park (Dallas)

4514 Cole Avenue,
Dallas, TX 75205

PRACTICE AREAS

EDUCATION

Juris Doctor (2012)

B.A., Spanish, Minor in Philosophy (2008)

PROSPER ISD PARENTS QUESTION DISTRICT RESPONSE TO BUS DRIVER ACCUSED OF SEXUALLY ASSAULTING STUDENTS

December 15, 2025

Author: Rebecca Lopez with WFAA Watch the interview here. PROSPER, Texas — Parents of two young girls who say they were repeatedly sexually assaulted by a Prosper ISD school bus driver are speaking out about what they describe as serious failures by the district — including delayed notification to families and promised safety changes they say were never fully implemented. The parents asked that they not be identified to protect their children, who were just elementary school age at the time of the abuse. In a lawsuit filed in 2023, the girls — identified only as Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 — allege former bus driver Frank Paniagua assaulted them repeatedly during the 2021–2022 school year. According to the lawsuit, Paniagua would wait until other students exited the bus, then assault the girls, sometimes holding one child back so he could take her to the rear of the bus. Attorneys say the abuse occurred over several months and was captured on bus surveillance video. How the abuse was discovered The girls’ mother said the abuse came to light after their grandmother noticed troubling comments about gift cards offered by the bus driver. When the mother later questioned the girls again, they disclosed what had been happening. Prosper ISD police reviewed surveillance video from the bus in May 2022. Paniagua was arrested two days later and charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child, continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14, and indecency with a child. Paniagua later died after jumping from the second floor of the Collin County Jail while awaiting trial. Concerns about delayed notifications Attorneys for the family say more than 100 days passed after Paniagua’s arrest before Prosper ISD publicly acknowledged the allegations — a delay parents say may have prevented other potential victims from being identified. At a packed school board meeting, Prosper ISD parent Morgan Grahovec, a child psychologist whose daughter attended the same school as the victims, told trustees that delays in notifying parents can have serious consequences. “Children who are victims of abuse need to be identified and interviewed as soon as possible because memory fades over time,” Grahovec said. “The longer you wait, it’s harder to get a child to report abuse accurately.” Parents at those meetings called for Superintendent Holly Ferguson’s resignation, arguing district leaders should have acted sooner and communicated more transparently. Ferguson did not step down, instead promising changes to safety protocols. District response and former statement In an earlier written statement to WFAA, Prosper ISD said it took appropriate action once allegations surfaced: “We are horrified that an employee violated the trust of our families and students, as Prosper ISD’s foremost priority is to protect our students’ safety and well-being at all times. We strongly condemn the actions of any adult who would cause mental or physical harm to a child, and we do not tolerate such behavior.” The district has declined additional comment, citing pending litigation. Disputed claims about safety changes Prosper ISD previously told parents it would implement additional safeguards, including increased supervision during bus drop-offs, a volunteer “bus buddy” program, and improved monitoring of bus surveillance video. But the parents and their attorneys say those changes were not consistently put in place. Attorney Levi McCathern says the district does not regularly review bus surveillance footage — even though video captured the alleged abuse in this case. “You would think the first thing you would do after this happens is change your monitoring program,” McCathern said. “They don’t monitor them at all.” McCathern and co-counsel Kristin Hecker say the lawsuit is aimed at forcing policy changes rather than seeking financial gain. Questions about oversight and leadership The case has also raised broader concerns about district leadership and oversight. Prosper ISD’s school board president later resigned in an unrelated child abuse case, further shaking confidence among some parents. Families have also questioned the independence of the district’s internal review, noting that the law firm hired to investigate the district’s response is also defending Prosper ISD in the lawsuit. “All we want is an independent investigation,” McCathern said. Parents push for accountability and change The parents say their children remain enrolled in Prosper ISD, but they continue to press for reforms they believe could prevent similar abuse. “We want justice for our kids,” the girls’ mother said. “But we also want changes to happen at the district so that this doesn’t happen to other children.”