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Standing on Their Shoulders: Black Legal Pioneers and Our Responsibility Today

Author: Attorney Chelsey L. Watts Black History Month is more than reflection; it is recognition of the legal architects who reshaped our Constitution, our courts, and our profession. For Black attorneys in particular, the law has represented more than a career, it has been a vehicle for structural change, civic participation, and the pursuit of […]

Senior Tax Attorney (Senior Associate or Partner)

We are seeking a highly experienced Senior Tax Attorney (Senior Associate or Partner) to serve as the firm’s lead authority on all tax matters, with firmwide impact across multiple practice areas. This role partners closely with our Corporate Transactions team on sophisticated matters including mergers and acquisitions, tax-free reorganizations, entity structuring, cross-border transactions, and strategic […]

McCATHERN, SHOKOUHI, EVANS PROMOTES DAVID L. CLARK TO PARTNER AND DANIELLE L. CHESTER TO SENIOR ASSOCIATE IN HOUSTON OFFICE

McCathern, Shokouhi, Evans is proud to announce two key attorney promotions in its Houston office. David L. Clark has been elevated to Partner, and Danielle L. Chester has been promoted to Senior Associate. Both attorneys joined McCathern’s Houston office in 2022 and have quickly established themselves as integral members of the team, providing exceptional legal […]

WHY YOU SHOULD REGISTER YOUR TRADEMARKS

I wrote an article on this topic nine years ago. It seems like an appropriate time for an update. This is because trademarks and trademark law remain a tricky legal property right. Trademarks are “owned” by the individual or entity that uses the mark as a source-identifier in conjunction with goods or services in commerce. […]

DANIEL K. HAGOOD P.C. MERGES WITH McCATHERN, SHOKOUHI, EVANS TO LAUNCH WHITE COLLAR & GOVERNMENT INVESTIGATIONS PRACTICE

Dallas, TX – 8/4/2025 – We are proud to announce the merger of Daniel K. Hagood P.C., a highly respected Dallas-based practice, with McCathern, Shoukouhi, Evans (McCathern PLLC). Known for excellence in white collar and criminal defense, the addition of Mr. Hagood and his team marks the launch of our new White Collar & Government […]

CHRIS BROWN, WITH ATTORNEY LEVI McCATHERN, FILES $500 MILLION LAWSUIT AGAINST AMPLE, LLC AND WARNER BROTHERS

Los Angeles, CA – McCathern, PLLC attorneys Levi G. McCathern, II, Evan Selik, and Jen Falk are representing singer-songwriter and rapper Chris Brown in a $500 million lawsuit filed on January 21, 2025 in the Superior Court of Los Angeles against Ample, LLC and Warner Brothers, along with individuals responsible for producing Chris Brown: A […]

NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN THE CORPORATE TRANSPARENCY ACT AND FILING REQUIREMENTS THEREUNDER

By: Tarig Anani Updated: 12/26/24 URGENT CLIENT NOTE: On December 23, 2024 the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals lifted the District Court’s nationwide preliminary injunction against enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”) in the case of Texas Top Cop Shop, Inc., et al. v. Garland, et al., No. 4:24-cv-00478 (E.D.Tex). For more information, please […]

‘UNFORGIVABLE’ | NEWLY FILED LAWSUIT ALLEGES 2-YEAR-OLD GIRL WAS TRAPPED INSIDE DRAIN FULL OF WATER AT NORTH TEXAS DAYCARE

Prosper, TX – December 12, 2024 A new lawsuit filed in Collin County on Thursday alleges that a 2-year-old girl fell into a 6-to-7-foot-deep drain filled with fecal water at a Prosper daycare and was trapped for nearly an hour. The incident reportedly occurred on Nov. 1 at Children’s Lighthouse in Prosper, where the girl […]

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.”

Category: Uncategorized

Standing on Their Shoulders: Black Legal Pioneers and Our Responsibility Today

Senior Tax Attorney (Senior Associate or Partner)

McCATHERN, SHOKOUHI, EVANS PROMOTES DAVID L. CLARK TO PARTNER AND DANIELLE L. CHESTER TO SENIOR ASSOCIATE IN HOUSTON OFFICE

WHY YOU SHOULD REGISTER YOUR TRADEMARKS

DANIEL K. HAGOOD P.C. MERGES WITH McCATHERN, SHOKOUHI, EVANS TO LAUNCH WHITE COLLAR & GOVERNMENT INVESTIGATIONS PRACTICE

CHRIS BROWN, WITH ATTORNEY LEVI McCATHERN, FILES $500 MILLION LAWSUIT AGAINST AMPLE, LLC AND WARNER BROTHERS

NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN THE CORPORATE TRANSPARENCY ACT AND FILING REQUIREMENTS THEREUNDER

‘UNFORGIVABLE’ | NEWLY FILED LAWSUIT ALLEGES 2-YEAR-OLD GIRL WAS TRAPPED INSIDE DRAIN FULL OF WATER AT NORTH TEXAS DAYCARE

Standing on Their Shoulders: Black Legal Pioneers and Our Responsibility Today

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

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