The scandal engulfing the Celina (Texas) Independent School District saw two major developments emerge last week, as families of students allegedly victimized by a former coach filed a lawsuit against the district, and the district placed its athletic director, who is the father of the coach in question, on non-disciplinary leave.
As reported by CBS Dallas, the lawsuit, filed last week in Collin County District Court, accuses Celina ISD of attempting to cover up the sexual misconduct scandal that involved Caleb Elliott watching and recording middle school players as they showered. It seeks more than $1 million in damages, citing psychological and physical harm, medical expenses and invasion of privacy. The families allege Elliott acted with malice, warranting exemplary damages.
Elliott, the 26-year-old son of longtime head football coach and athletic director Bill Elliott, is facing felony charges of invasive visual recording and possession of child pornography. The elder Elliott, who apologized publicly for his son's behavior, has been placed on non-disciplinary leave with pay amid two separate investigations into his son's alleged conduct, according to ABC affiliate WFAA in Dallas.
Related: High School Coach Apologizes for Son's Recording of Boys in Middle School Locker Room
Doug Myers and Briseida Holguin of CBS Dallas outlined the following claims included in the lawsuit:
- The district was aware of Elliott's alleged misconduct — including an improper relationship with a student and prior locker room incidents — before his initial arrest in early October.
- Students experienced emotional distress, including difficulty sleeping, trouble attending school, withdrawal from athletics, and avoidance of public changing and bathing facilities. The suit further states that many of the minors have begun or plan to begin counseling to address the trauma.
- Caleb Elliott began a relationship with a senior while working as a substitute teacher at Celina High School during the 2022–23 school year. He had previously served as the receivers coach for the high school football team. His brother was the offensive coordinator. Both are former Bobcats who were brought onto the coaching staff by their father.
- Instead of firing Elliott, the district reassigned him in summer 2023 to Moore Middle School, where he became an eighth-grade football coach and sixth-grade social studies teacher. The suit suggests the move may have been intended to separate him from older students, though it proved ineffective.
- Elliott allegedly loitered near showers and watched boys, and in one case, instructing a student to perform jumping jacks while naked.
- At some point during the 2024-25 school year and into summer 2025, Elliott was barred from the locker room, but no explanation was given to the students, who were 14- or 15-years old.
- Football training in summer 2025 was uneventful, with students avoiding locker room use. The suit states that in August, students resumed access to the locker room.
- At the start of the 2025–26 school year, students reportedly noticed that Elliott only entered the locker room when other coaches were in their office.
- Students were confused and unsure how to interpret Elliott's actions.
- According to the lawsuit, students began to suspect Caleb Elliott was using his smartphone to record or photograph them in the locker room. Suspicion grew based on how Elliott positioned his phone, often holding it near his waist with the camera aimed toward students.
The lawsuit points to key dates within a two-week period earlier this month:
- On Oct. 3, a student witnessed Elliott intentionally capturing images of nude boys in the locker room and showers. The images allegedly focused on the students' private areas. The incident was reported to the school's principal, who then contacted law enforcement. Police obtained and executed a search warrant that afternoon to seize the phone of Elliott, who was arrested that evening on suspicion of invasive visual recording, a felony.
- On Oct. 9, after further analysis of the phone's contents, Elliott was arrested again on suspicion of possession of child pornography, a third-degree felony.
- On Oct. 15, the Celina ISD board of trustees held a special meeting in response to community outrage over the allegations involving Caleb Elliott. Before the meeting, Elliott resigned from his position and surrendered his teaching license.
The lawsuit further alleges this was not Elliott's first known incident. It claims that during the 2024–25 school year, Elliott was caught placing cameras in the boys' locker room. According to the suit, Elliott reportedly said he was attempting to deter theft and was unaware that his actions were illegal.
The lawsuit also alleges that Celina ISD responded by sending apology letters to select parents, but did not terminate Elliott, allowing him to remain employed within the district.
Celina ISD is being sued under Chapter 118 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, which removes immunity for public schools in cases of sexual misconduct.
The district is accused of gross negligence for keeping Elliott employed after discovering an improper relationship, reassigning him instead of firing him, failing to report his behavior, allowing him access to locker rooms, and lacking proper training and oversight. The suit claims these actions knowingly endangered students and directly enabled the alleged abuse.
"You can talk about an isolated incident, and then you can talk about all the warning signs," said attorney Paul Herz of Herz Law, which represents seven alleged victims — all minors.
The suit demands a jury trial and judgment against both defendants, jointly and severally, for actual and exemplary damages, attorney's fees, court costs, interest, and any other appropriate relief.
"The case has sparked a firestorm of concern and outrage among parents," Myers and Holguin wrote. "On Thursday, a North Texas lawmaker formally requested that Texas attorney general Ken Paxton launch an independent investigation into Celina ISD's handling of the case."
