Celina ISD announced the results of a third-party investigation on January 13, finding “no evidence” that district officials should have reported former Coach Caleb Elliott, now accused of recording students in the locker room.
As The Dallas Express reported, police arrested Elliott, 26, in October 2025 for invasive visual recording in a bathroom and possession of child pornography.
The school board hired third-party investigator Giana Ortiz to look into the claims, as well as other allegations from social media, in lawsuits, and in response to the Texas Education Agency’s special investigation, according to a letter from Celina ISD School Board President Jeff Gravley.
“The investigation found neither current employee witnesses nor employees who left the District had knowledge of alleged prior incidents of misconduct involving Caleb Elliott,” Gravley wrote. “There was no evidence that Caleb Elliott should not have been hired due to any alleged misconduct (known or unknown) at the time he was hired.”
Gravley also said there was “no evidence that there was any reason to suspect” at the time of hiring Elliott that he might eventually commit the alleged “misconduct.”
Elliott was arrested on October 3 for invasive visual recording, arrested again on October 9 for possession of child pornography, and arrested again on November 6 for sexual performance of a child, The Dallas Express reported. In late November, he faced a second count of sexual performance of a child.
Soon after Elliott’s arrest in October, his father – Celina High School Head Coach Bill Elliott – vowed to seek justice for his son’s actions, as The Dallas Express reported at the time.
More recently, Bill Elliott announced his retirement. Republican state Rep. Jeff Leach denounced this January 14, saying Celina ISD should have fired him.
“The entire Celina ISD School Board needs to go. And now,” Leach posted on X.
Years of abuse and misconduct happened under his watch — and the Board is allowing him to resign instead of firing him. Not just no — but hell no!
As is so often the case – the institutional abuse and cover up is sometimes worse than the abuse itself. And it cannot be allowed… pic.twitter.com/57reUBIfeU
— Jeff Leach (@leachfortexas) January 14, 2026
The Findings
The board met on January 12 to review the findings of Ortiz’s investigation, according to Gravley. Officials retained her to avoid concerns about conflicts of interest, and she reviewed potential “systemic issues” at Moore Middle School or its athletic department.
“Ortiz’s independent investigation did not address the criminal allegations against Caleb Elliott,” Gravley wrote. “Ortiz focused her investigation on allegations that could or would constitute violations of policy, regulation, and/or civil school laws of the state by District employees other than Caleb Elliott.”
After interviewing roughly 39 witnesses throughout her investigation, Ortiz found “no evidence” suggesting district employees knew about numerous allegations, according to Gravley.
Specifically, Gravley found the following:
- “No evidence” suggesting Elliott had an “improper relationship” with a high school senior while substitute teaching in 2022-2023, or at all.
- “No evidence” district officials should have reported him to law enforcement for an illegal relationship with a teenage student.
- “No evidence” that Elliott moved to Moore Middle School in summer 2023 as an eighth-grade coach and sixth-grade social studies teacher, “instead of terminating him upon discovery of an improper and unlawful relationship.”
- “No evidence” that Elliott had a confrontation with another coach about previous attempts to record children in the locker room.
- “No evidence” to support the claims Elliott placed cameras in the locker room during the 2024-2025 school year, or at all.
- “No evidence” that anyone at the district sent apology letters to parents of children caught on camera in the locker rooms during the 2024-2025 school year, or at all.
- “No witness” had knowledge of Elliott making students do burpees or jumping jacks naked.
- “No witness” had knowledge of, or concerns about, Elliott’s presence or conduct in the locker room before October 2, 2025.
The Dallas Express reached out to the Collin County District Attorney’s Office, but did not hear back in time for publication.
“The Board would like to clearly state that its comments do not minimize the claims against Caleb Elliott or condone his alleged conduct, and the District has fully reported, cooperated, and deferred to all law enforcement agencies involved to address the claims,” Gravley wrote. “The District has not been informed of the names of the students who are the subject of the lawsuits.”
Gravley also said Celina police and other investigators confirmed the district’s understanding that there was “no evidence” suggesting a district failed to report an inappropriate relationship between a teacher or coach and a high school student from 2022 to 2024.
“To be clear, the District gave full access to its technology systems and other documentation to conduct searches necessary in the investigation of allegations,” he wrote. “The District has made repeated efforts to encourage any victim, witness, and/or other third-party with information to come forward to ensure transparency in all investigations.”
The investigation found district employees were correctly trained in child abuse identification and prevention, and other areas like mandatory reporting. Gravley said the district’s policy bans physical mistreatment, neglect, and abuse.
But Ortiz also found “operational factors” that will lead the district to make “policy, procedure, training, and/or operational changes.” These factors allegedly did not cause the situation with Elliott.
“The District has already updated its policy for use of sensitive areas such as locker rooms,” Gravley wrote. “Additionally, the District will be partnering with the Children’s Advocacy Center of Collin County to provide additional training for employees regarding child abuse/neglect.”
Families of boys whom Elliott allegedly recorded were planning to sue Celina ISD in October, as The Dallas Express also reported. Seventeen families filed suit against the district in December, according to WFAA.
This was one of several teacher scandals that rocked Celina ISD last fall.
Police arrested 40-year-old teacher Jainya Walder after she allegedly showed up to Moore Middle School drunk in October, as The Dallas Express reported. In the same month, then-Celina High School teacher and wrestling coach Neil Phillipps was suspended for reportedly showing students an Artificial Intelligence “sexy mode” in the classroom.
