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Seven McCathern Attorneys Make 2022 Texas Super Lawyers List

McCathern is proud to announce that seven attorneys from the firm’s Dallas, Frisco and Houston offices were named by Super Lawyers to its Texas Super Lawyers list for 2022: Scott Becker – Frisco (Family Law) Rodney Drinnon – Houston (Business Litigation) Paul Grinke – Frisco (Business Litigation) Levi McCathern – Dallas (Business Litigation) Laura Roach – Frisco […]

Levi McCathern and Kristin Hecker Interviewed for Story on Sexual Abuse Clients

McCathern Partner Levi McCathern and Associate Attorney Kristin Hecker were interviewed for a television news segment by WFAA Channel 8, the North Texas affiliate of ABC, concerning the firm’s clients who were allegedly sexually assaulted repeatedly by a Prosper Independent School District bus driver in 2021 and 2022. A lawsuit filed on August 25th alleges […]

Eight McCathern Attorneys Recognized by Best Lawyers® on 2023 Lists

McCathern is excited to announce that eight attorneys from the firm’s Dallas and Frisco offices were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in the 2023 editions of The Best Lawyers in America© and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch: Levi McCathern, founding partner of the firm, was named to the Best Lawyers in America© list for Litigation – Labor […]

Introduction to McCathern Dallas Attorney Jesse Showalter

Associate attorney Jesse Showalter joined the Dallas office of McCathern in June of this year and is making an immediate impact with many of the firm’s clients. An experienced, client-focused litigator with substantial time in the courtroom to his name, Jesse immediately fit in with the firm. Jesse focuses his practice on business and commercial […]

Three Attorneys Named 2022 Texas Rising Stars by Super Lawyers

McCathern is proud to announce that three attorneys from our Dallas and Frisco offices were named by Super Lawyers as 2022 Texas Rising Stars: Justin N. Bryan – Business Litigation Brett M. Chisum – Business Litigation Erin R. Clegg – Family Law Rising Star honorees must be 40 years old or younger or in practice […]

Ty Sheaks Webinar on Post-Covid Event Contract Negotiations

On Tuesday, March 22nd at 1:00pm CST, McCathern Partner Ty Sheaks will take part in a Smart Meetings Smart Chat Live! session on some of the key contractual provisions that meetings and events professionals should keep in mind for negotiations with venues in the post-Covid-19 pandemic era. Additionally, Ty will share tips for potentially mitigating […]

McCathern Clients Victorious in Dallas Personal Injury Defense Case

On our clients’ behalf, McCathern announces a significant recent defense victory in Dallas County Civil District Court by Frisco Partner Samuel “Sam” King. A plaintiff sued two McCathern clients following a 2019 personal injury at a Dallas, Texas retail store. The two McCathern clients operate the store and own the premises, respectively. The plaintiff alleged […]

Experienced Attorney David L. Clark Joins McCathern Houston Office

McCathern is excited to announce that attorney David L. Clark has joined the firm’s Houston office as Senior Counsel. David has practiced in the Houston area for nearly two decades, focusing on Business & Commercial Litigation, Business Disputes, Civil Litigation, and Intellectual Property. “David brings twenty years of complex commercial litigation experience to our already […]

Rodney Drinnon Publishes Article on Investing in Small-Cap Businesses

McCathern Houston Co-Managing Partner Rodney Drinnon published a new article on the website of the Nasdaq financial services company, owner of the Nasdaq stock exchange. The article, “How to Bet on Small Companies Positioned to Take on Their Competition”, leverages Mr. Drinnon’s experience as a small business owner, as a litigator representing small business clients, […]

Marianne Robak Article on Corporate Fraud Published on Nasdaq

McCathern Houston Partner Marianne Robak has published a new article on the website of the Nasdaq financial services company, owner of the Nasdaq stock exchange. The article, “Companies are Losing Billions to External Fraud, and Shareholders are Paying a Price“, discusses how internal and external corporate fraud have spiked of late, the impact of this […]

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: Matthew Kellogg