Spike in North Texas teacher arrests sparks concern among education leaders over who's getting hired in schools
In just the last month, eight North Texas educators or coaches have been arrested or placed on leave, raising concerns from the state's largest teachers union about whether this points to a troubling trend in Texas schools.
Since early October, six teachers across the region have been arrested on felony charges, including cases involving sexual misconduct in Mansfield, Anna, and Wylie.
Celina ISD at the center of multiple allegations
Half of those eight incidents stem from Celina ISD. Two educators there were arrested for being impaired while at school, and another, middle school coach Caleb Elliott, was charged with possessing child pornography and secretly filming boys in a locker room. Wrestling coach Neil Phillips is under investigation for alleged misconduct at his former district.
These educators are a fraction of the thousands across North Texas. But is it alarming to see so many cases at once? Texas' largest teachers union believes so.
"Anytime that we have an individual — particularly one who's committed felony-level activity that could put students in harm's way or damage our profession — that's a concern," said Zeph Capo, president of the Texas American Federation of Teachers. "We need to look deeper into why it's happening."
Questions raised about vetting and standards in Texas schools
Capo said the problem goes beyond bad behavior, pointing to how educators are being vetted in the first place.
"The state's answer — lowering the standards to become a teacher — is part of the problem," he said. "It puts student safety and the integrity of our profession at risk."
In Celina, two coaches are also on leave: head football coach Bill Elliott, who is connected to his son Caleb's criminal case, and wrestling coach Neil Phillips, who's under investigation for alleged misconduct at his former district, Melissa ISD. Neither coach currently faces criminal charges.
Education attorney Chris Tritico said that while the number of recent cases seems alarming, not every arrest or administrative leave means guilt.
"That doesn't mean that of the 11,000 educators I represent — if I get 10 cases like this — the whole system is failing," Tritico said.
Still, both Capo and Tritico agree that parents should stay alert, ask questions, and hold districts accountable.
"When all these cases hit at once, it looks shocking," Tritico said. "And the community has every right to go to a school board meeting and ask, 'What the hell is going on?'"
Calls for stronger standards to ensure student safety in classrooms
Capo added that lower hiring standards could put the wrong people in classrooms.
"When you allow school districts to basically pull anybody off the street with a pulse and put them in classrooms, the chances rise that you don't have the right person in front of kids," he said. "I would 100% be asking — is my teacher certified?"
The criminal investigation into Celina coach Caleb Elliott is still ongoing.