McKINNEY, Texas – Seventeen additional victims have filed a lawsuit in Collin County District Court alleging that the Celina Independent School District failed to protect young students from Caleb Elliott, a former substitute teacher and football coach in the district. 

The latest civil petition, filed under pseudonyms to protect the identities of minors, claims that Celina ISD ignored repeated warning signs and allowed Elliott continued and unsupervised access to students despite reports of misconduct. 

According to the lawsuit, Elliott, the son of former Celina High School head football coach Bill Elliott, engaged in an improper relationship with a high school student before being transferred to Moore Middle School. The petition claims the district did not report the relationship to law enforcement or state authorities and instead placed Elliott in a position supervising even younger students at the middle school. 

The lawsuit filed by attorneys with the firms of Scheef & Stone, Martin Walker, and Crain Brogdon states this access, despite repeated red flags, placed vulnerable students in preventable danger. The lawsuit notes:  

“This danger culminated in the invasive photographic and video recording of young children in a private space by a young football coach for his own gratification. This apparently occurred because Celina ISD placed a higher priority on athletic success than it placed on protecting the vulnerable young students entrusted into the care and protection of the district.”   

The filing alleges that during the 2024–2025 school years, Elliott photographed and videotaped students by placing hidden cameras in the boys’ locker room, and compelled students to engage in sexualized acts.  

After families reported their concerns to police, Elliott was arrested on multiple state criminal charges, including invasive visual recording, possession or promotion of child pornography, and sexual performance of a child. 

According to the Collin County District Attorney’s office, Elliott has been indicted on eight federal charges of sexual exploitation of children, and investigations by federal prosecutors and the Celina Police Department are continuing. News reports indicate that Elliott currently faces 39 criminal complaints and that the Texas Education Agency has launched its own inquiry into the district’s handling of the situation. 

Media Contact: 
Fabian Gutierrez
800-559-4534
fabian@androvett.com