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Three McCathern Attorneys Invited to Join the CLM

McCathern is pleased to announce that Carl Evans, Jeff Wright, and Ty Sheaks have been invited to join the prestigious Claims and Litigation Management Alliance. The CLM is a nonpartisan alliance comprised of thousands of insurance companies, corporations, Corporate Counsel, Litigation and Risk Managers, claims professionals, and attorneys. Through education and collaboration, the organization’s goals are […]

McCathern Assists Armstrong Elementary School Break “The Cat in the Hat” Record

On February 28, 2014, McCathern took part in breaking a Guinness World Record. In honor of the legendary Dr. Seuss and his birthday, Armstrong Elementary School and the Armstrong Elementary Dad’s Club, both based in Highland Park, gathered together to break the record set in New York for 281 participants wearing the well-known “The Cat […]

McCathern Law Firm Defends Cowboys Stadium LP, Plaintiff Drops Lawsuit

McCathern successfully defended Cowboys Stadium LP and the other named Defendants in a lawsuit filed by a Plaintiff who was claiming to have sustained 3rd degree burns from sitting on a bench outside of the stadium in August 2010. Initially, Plaintiff’s lawsuit also named the Dallas Cowboys football team and team owner, Jerry Jones, which […]

McCathern Wins Again

A team of McCathern lawyers including Partner Jeff C. Wright and Associates Stephanie M. Almeter and Farbod Farnia, recently succeeded in convincing the Texas Fifth Court of Appeals in Dallas to reverse a trial court order denying Pilot Travel Center’s motion to compel arbitration in a nonsubscriber death case. Although the Court of Appeals initially […]

McCathern Partner Paul Grinke Has Been Quoted In Over 100 Articles Regarding West Explosion

Since the Texas fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas last April, McCathern partner Paul Grinke has been quoted in over 100 articles by prominent news sources around the world. See below for examples of such articles. “Investigators rule out some causes in West explosion.” dallasnews.com. 23 April 2013. “Third Lawsuit Filed Over Deadly Explosion.” KWTX.COM. […]

Weatherford man born without hands sues Six Flags after being kicked off ride

McCathern, PLLC issued a press release today regarding its client Clint Bench. Mr. Bench, who was born without natural hands, is suing Six Flags Entertainment Corporation for disability discrimination. In May, 2012, Mr. Bench visited Six Flags in Arlington, Texas and boarded the Aquaman Splashdown ride with his daughter. But before the ride began, park […]

Arnold Shokouhi Elected to Managing Partner

Arnold Shokouhi, a Super Lawyers 2013 Rising Star and head of McCathern, PLLC’s Banking and Mortgage section, was elected to managing partner on January 1, 2013. Mr. Shokouhi currently heads McCathern’s Banking and Mortgage section and practices extensively in the area of commercial, director and officer liability, and employment litigation. “My goal as Managing Partner […]

Woman Sues Dallas Cowboys for Burned Buttocks

By Lida Alikhani August 17, 2012 The Dallas Cowboys are in the “hot seat” for allegedly failing to protect one of its fans from an excruciatingly hot seat. Jennelle Carrillo of Cleburne, Texas, has sued the football team and team owner Jerry Jones in Tarrant County District Court for third degree burns to her buttocks […]

Case Summary: McCathern Gains Dismissal with Prejudice of Clients Jerry Jones, Dallas Cowboys Football Club, LTD, and Cowboys Stadium, L.P.

Partners Levi McCathern and Paul Grinke led the McCathern team that gained dismissal with prejudice of clients Jerry Jones, Dallas Cowboys Football Club, LTD, and Cowboys Stadium, L.P. from the class action lawsuit filed in the United States District Court, Northern District of Texas, arising out of temporary seating issues during Super Bowl XLV. The […]

Case Summary: McCathern Wins Trial for Clients in Nonsubscriber Case

On August 31, 2011, Levi McCathern successfully obtained a jury verdict in favor of his clients Daryl Flood, Inc. d/b/a/ Daryl Flood Warehouse and Movers, Inc. (“Daryl Flood”) and Allied Van lines, Inc. (“Allied”) in a lawsuit brought against them by Joseph E. Prado in the 191st Judicial District Court in Dallas County, Texas. Plaintiff Joseph Prado filed […]

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.”

Author: McCathern Law