An independent investigator hired by Celina ISD found no evidence that district employees knew of or ignored past misconduct allegations involving former coach Caleb Elliott, according to a statement released Tuesday by the school board president.

The announcement was immediately met with concern from attorneys representing several of the boys allegedly abused by Elliott, who said the district's findings fall short of transparency, omit key voices, and fail to answer critical questions about what the district knew and when.

Background on the Elliott allegations

Elliott, a former coach and teacher at Moore Middle School, has been charged with multiple counts of child sexual abuse involving boys on campus and during school‑related activities. He is the son of longtime Celina football coach Bill Elliott, one of the most successful coaches in the program's history.

The allegations surfaced in October 2025, prompting investigations by Celina police, the Texas Rangers, the Texas Attorney General's Office, the Collin County District Attorney's Office, the FBI, and the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.

Families of several boys have filed lawsuits accusing Elliott of abusing students and alleging the district should have known about earlier warning signs. Celina ISD has said repeatedly that it was never informed of any concerns about Elliott before his arrest. 

District explains scope of review

In a statement, Celina ISD Board President Jeff Gravley said the board's comments "do not minimize the claims against Caleb Elliott or condone his alleged conduct." He said the district has fully reported, cooperated with, and deferred to all law enforcement agencies involved, and noted that it has not been informed of the names of the students who are the subject of the lawsuits.

According to Gravley, the district hired outside attorney Giana Ortiz immediately, rather than conducting its own investigation, to avoid any appearance of internal bias or conflicts of interest. Ortiz was selected for her credentials and because she specializes in identifying weaknesses in school district policies and employment practices. 

Gravley said she was directed to expand the scope of her review to include allegations made on social media, in lawsuits, and in response to a pending Texas Education Agency special investigation.

To ensure impartiality, Gravley said witnesses were given written confidentiality directives. Ortiz's investigation did not address the criminal allegations against Elliott, but instead focused on whether any district employee violated policy, regulation, or state civil school laws. 

At the board's request, Gravley said she also reviewed whether any systemic issues existed within Moore Middle School or the athletics department related to Elliott's hiring, retention, or termination.

District cites law enforcement findings

After interviewing 39 witnesses, Gravley said Ortiz found no evidence that any district employee knew of, ignored or failed to report prior misconduct by Elliott. 

He said the investigation found no evidence supporting allegations of an improper relationship, locker‑room cameras, apology letters, a confrontation with staff or any reason Elliott should have been reported to law enforcement before his arrest. 

No witness reported concerns about Elliott's presence or conduct in the locker room before Oct. 2, 2025, according to Gravley.

Gravley said the district and Celina police repeatedly asked attorneys and community members for evidence supporting claims of prior knowledge, including the alleged apology letter, but none has been provided. Gravley said at least one attorney told the district they had no responsive information and would seek it during discovery.

According to Gravley, Ortiz confirmed that district employees received annual training on child‑abuse identification and prevention and were informed of their legal reporting duties. He said investigators with the Texas Attorney General's Office, Texas Rangers, Collin County District Attorney's Office, FBI, and Texas Department of Family and Protective Services found no evidence that any Celina ISD employee failed to report an inappropriate relationship during the 2022–23 or 2023–24 school years. Gravley said the district provided investigators full access to its technology systems and documentation.

He said the district has repeatedly encouraged victims, witnesses, and anyone with information to come forward and has issued broad notifications to parents because it does not know the identities of the students involved. Gravley said Ortiz identified operational issues that did not cause the situation but could be improved, and the district has already updated its locker‑room policy and will add further training through the Children's Advocacy Center of Collin County.

He said the district is preparing to release as much of the report as legally possible while protecting confidential employee information and witness identities as required by state law.

State lawmaker criticizes district response

State Rep. Jeff Leach, an attorney advocating for the families of children allegedly abused in Celina ISD, sharply criticized the district's response.

"If the head coach and principal did nothing wrong, then the board should reinstate them immediately," Leach said in a post on X. "If the head coach and principal acted improperly, then the board should fire them, and they should never be allowed to teach or coach in Texas ever again. If the board allows either of them or anyone else with culpability to resign and ride off into the sunset with full benefits, no repercussions, and no accountability, then there should be hell to pay, starting with replacing the entire board. Bottom line: there is smoke, and there is fire."

Families' attorney questions investigation's credibility

Attorney Paul Herz, who represents several of the families whose boys were allegedly abused by Elliott, also dismissed the district's findings.

Herz said the district's statement "totally lacks credibility," arguing that Celina ISD hired a third‑party law firm "to put a neat little bow on this." 

He said the review "smacks of the same rush to closure that the police department has suffered from," and added that the district had "expended all their credibility before they've even had to defend themselves in a court of law." 

Herz said he looks forward to seeing the case play out "in the justice system and not behind closed doors."

Second families' attorney calls for full report

Attorney and State Rep. Mitch Little, who is representing some of the boys allegedly abused by Elliott, also criticized the district's findings.

Little said the district's "self-serving statement is incomplete in that it omits to state whether the investigator interviewed even a single victim or his family. The investigator did not." 

He said "Celina ISD has managed not to hear from a single victim," and added that his team intends to approach the case "with a degree of rigor that this school district has not yet experienced." 

Little called on the district to release "a complete, unredacted copy of this report so that the public can examine the investigator's work in its entirety."