Celina ISD is facing a lawsuit that accuses the district of attempting to cover up a sexual misconduct scandal involving a former coach.

Filed this week in Collin County District Court, the lawsuit names Celina ISD and Caleb Elliott, the 26-year-old son of longtime head football coach and athletic director Bill Elliott. The former district employee is facing charges of invasive visual recording and possession of child pornography.

The case has sparked a firestorm of concern and outrage among parents. On Thursday, a North Texas lawmaker formally requested that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launch an independent investigation into Celina ISD's handling of the case. 

District allegedly knew of misconduct

According to the lawsuit, the district was aware of Elliott's alleged misconduct — including an improper relationship with a student and prior locker room incidents — before his initial arrest in early October.

The lawsuit claims the students experienced emotional distress, including difficulty sleeping, trouble attending school, withdrawal from athletics, and avoidance of public changing and bathing facilities. The suit further states that many of the minors have begun or plan to begin counseling to address the trauma.

Elliott reassigned after relationship, suit says

According to the suit, Caleb Elliott began a relationship with a senior while working as a substitute teacher at Celina High School during the 2022–23 school year.

He had previously served as the receivers coach for the high school football team. His brother was the offensive coordinator. Both are former Bobcats who were brought onto the coaching staff by their father.

Instead of firing Elliott, the district reassigned him in summer 2023 to Moore Middle School, where he became an eighth-grade football coach and sixth-grade social studies teacher. The suit suggests the move may have been intended to separate him from older students, though it proved ineffective.

Alleged locker room incidents detailed

The lawsuit outlines incidents, including Elliott allegedly loitering near showers and watching boys, and in one case, instructing a student to perform jumping jacks while naked.

During the 2024–25 school year and into summer 2025, students ages 14 to 15 participated in the Moore Middle School football program. At some point, Elliott was barred from the locker room, but no explanation was given to the students, according to the suit.

"You can talk about an isolated incident, and then you can talk about all the warning signs," said attorney Paul Herz of Herz Law, which represents seven alleged victims — all minors.

Suspicion grew over phone behavior, suit claims

According to the lawsuit, football training in summer 2025 was uneventful, with students avoiding locker room use. The suit states that in August, students resumed access to the locker room. One student, identified in the filing as John Doe V, was new to Celina and its football program.

The lawsuit alleges that at the start of the 2025–26 school year, the boys were coached by school staff, with Elliott assisting. Students reportedly noticed, according to the suit, that Elliott only entered the locker room when other coaches were in their office.

In September, legendary Celina coach G.A. Moore passed away. The suit states that the students, lacking context, were confused and unsure how to interpret Elliott's actions.

Student allegedly saw recording incident

According to the lawsuit, students began to suspect Caleb Elliott was using his smartphone to record or photograph them in the locker room. The suit alleges that suspicion grew based on how Elliott positioned his phone, often holding it near his waist with the camera aimed toward students.

The lawsuit states that on Oct. 3, a student witnessed Elliott intentionally capturing images of nude boys in the locker room and showers. The images allegedly focused on the students' private areas.

The suit further claims the incident was reported to the school's principal, who then contacted law enforcement. According to the lawsuit, police obtained and executed a search warrant that afternoon to seize Elliott's phone. That evening, Elliott was arrested on suspicion of invasive visual recording, a state jail felony.

Second arrest followed phone analysis

The lawsuit states that on Oct. 9, after further analysis of the phone's contents, Elliott was arrested again on suspicion of possession of child pornography, a third-degree felony.

According to the lawsuit, on Oct. 15, the Celina ISD board of trustees held a special meeting in response to community outrage over the allegations involving Caleb Elliott. The suit states that before the meeting, Elliott resigned from his position and surrendered his teaching license.

Prior camera incident alleged

The lawsuit further alleges this was not Elliott's first known incident. It claims that during the 2024–25 school year, Elliott was caught placing cameras in the boys' locker room. According to the suit, Elliott reportedly said he was attempting to deter theft and was unaware that his actions were illegal.

The lawsuit also alleges that Celina ISD responded by sending apology letters to select parents, but did not terminate Elliott, allowing him to remain employed within the district.

Immunity lifted under Chapter 118

Celina ISD is being sued under Chapter 118 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, which removes immunity for public schools in cases of sexual misconduct.

The district is accused of gross negligence for keeping Elliott employed after discovering an improper relationship, reassigning him instead of firing him, failing to report his behavior, allowing him access to locker rooms, and lacking proper training and oversight. The suit claims these actions knowingly endangered students and directly enabled the alleged abuse.

Families seek over $1 million

The families are seeking more than $1 million in damages, citing psychological and physical harm, medical expenses, and invasion of privacy. They allege Elliott acted with malice, warranting exemplary damages.

The suit demands a jury trial and judgment against both defendants, jointly and severally, for actual and exemplary damages, attorney's fees, court costs, interest, and any other appropriate relief.

District declines to comment

Celina ISD declined to comment on the lawsuit but requested that CBS News Texas file an open records request.