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Client Success Stories

We strive to provide the best client service possible and focus on our mission of Improving People’s Lives daily. Here are a few examples out of countless successful outcomes we’ve achieved on behalf of our clients. McCathern Houston Achieves Big Win Attorneys: Rodney L. Drinnon and Isaac Villarreal Rod Drinnon and Isaac Villarreal of McCathern’s Houston office successfully defended a Dram Shop […]

Dallas law firm headed to Frisco to join the Cowboys at The Star

Dallas law firm headed to Frisco to join the Cowboys at The Star by Steve Brown, Real Estate Editor A Dallas law firm is headed to Frisco and the Dallas Cowboys’ new Star development. McCathern PLLC has signed a 10-year lease in the Dallas Cowboys’ headquarters office building on Warren Parkway west of Dallas North Tollway. McCathern […]

Los Angeles Office Sponsors Charity Golf Tournament

Contractors in Collaboration (CNC) hosted their 3rd Annual Builder Appreciation Golf Tournament on Monday, September 26. McCathern’s Los Angeles office sponsored this charity event, which was an opportunity to raise awareness and help end homelessness. All net proceeds were donated to HomeAid of Orange County and HomeAid of Inland Empire. Check out our photos from the […]

McCathern Promotes Matthew S. Muckleroy to Law Firm Partner

DALLAS, TEXAS (PRWEB) SEPTEMBER 23, 2016 Dallas-based law firm McCathern, PLLC is proud to announce that Matthew S. Muckleroy has been named a partner of the firm. McCathern is a full-service law firm with offices in Dallas, Houston, and Los Angeles. Becoming a partner at the firm is not easily achieved. McCathern partnership is the result […]

Harnessing the Power of Simulated and Illustrative Evidence Without an Expert

By Justin Bryan – August 29, 2016 Videos or pictures created after an event to demonstrate how the event happened can enhance jurors’ understanding of the facts and make the relevant events come to life. Such evidence falls into two key categories: simulated evidence (such as reconstructions, reenactments, or recreations of relevant events) and illustrations. […]

Dallas Cowboys Jerry Jones selected as Hall of Fame Finalist

The Cowboys list Jerry Jones as their owner, president and general manager. The Pro Football Hall of Fame assigned him an even more important title Tuesday — contributor. Jones became one of the two contributor nominees for the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2017, which could put him in the company of the Tom Landrys, […]

McCathern named among largest firms in TX

Last year, McCathern made The Texas 100 list by Texas Lawyer at #68. This year, we have moved up to #59! Congratulations to our firm on this huge achievement! Click here to see the full list of this year’s largest firms in Texas from Texas Lawyer.

Congratulations, McCathern Houston Attorneys

McCathern Houston Attorneys Rodney Drinnon, Ronald Wright, Andy Green, Isaac Villarreal, Veronica Montemayor, and Nick Zugaro selected as Top Lawyers by H-Texas Magazine Rodney L. Drinnon is an experienced litigator who handles complex civil litigation in both federal and state courts. He has served as the lead trial lawyer on matters, including antitrust actions, contested […]

Law Firm McCathern, PLLC Launches New Website

Dallas-based law firm launches new user-friendly website and refreshes brand image Dallas, TX – McCathern, PLLC, a national, full-service law firm, is thrilled to announce the launch of its completely redesigned law firm website, www.mccathern.wpengine.com. This new website highlights firm’s attorneys and provides users with an interactive, user-friendly experience. It features a fresh, innovative design, […]

NFL’s 100 most important people

From Jerry Jones to Les Snead, the USA TODAY Sports NFL staff selects the biggest game changers in the league. 1. Jerry Jones Here’s what can happen when a man risks his entire fortune to realize a dream of owning an NFL team: He instantly becomes the most despised man in Texas for firing legendary […]

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