Seventeen Families File New Suit Accusing Celina ISD of Ignoring Warnings About Former Coach

Overview

• The filing is the fourth civil case tied to former coach Caleb Elliott and seeks a jury trial and more than $1 million in damages for 17 new families.
• The suit alleges the district failed to report an earlier improper relationship at the high school and later transferred Elliott to supervise younger students at the middle school.
• Plaintiffs’ lawyers say subpoenas to Snapchat aim to determine whether images of students were shared with unknown recipients, possibly outside the United States.
• Attorneys claim witnesses describe a prior confrontation over attempts to record boys and suggest Elliott may have been kept out of the locker room before his arrest.
• Celina police say 39 alleged victims have been identified as state and federal prosecutions continue, while the district and TEA conduct reviews and key staff, including Bill Elliott and the middle school principal, remain on leave; the district says new claims are being forwarded to investigators.