Police to hold news conference on ex-Celina ISD coach accused of secretly filming students

Celina police to hold presser on Celina ISD staff

A growing scandal involving former Celina ISD coach Caleb Elliott, who is accused of secretly filming dozens of male students in a locker room, leading to community outrage and a scheduled police press conference for answers.

CELINA, Texas - The Celina Police Department will hold its first news conference on Tuesday on a growing scandal involving a Celina ISD coach accused of secretly recording students in a locker room.

What we know:

Former Celina ISD coach Caleb Elliott faces state and federal charges after police say he secretly filmed dozens of boys while they were undressed. Investigators said the case began after students became suspicious of how Elliott handled his phone. Detectives later said they found images on his device.

Community demands answers

What they're saying:

"It’s an emotional rollercoaster," said Jessica Locklear, a relative of one of the alleged victims. "Why? How? How was this not prevented? How did nobody stop this from getting to the point to where it did?"

Community members say they are still waiting for answers about how the alleged misconduct went unnoticed.

Prior incidents and district scrutiny

Local perspective:

At a Celina ISD school board meeting on Monday, elected trustees met in closed session to review findings from a third-party investigation into possible systemic failures.

A lawsuit claims district leaders knew about prior incidents involving Elliott, including allegations that he slept with a student while working at Celina High School and that he was caught installing cameras at the middle school before his arrest last month.

Elliott’s father, Bill Elliott, is the high school’s head football coach, who led the team to a state championship.

"The only responsibility we have as adults is to protect these children and, as of right now, that has not happened," said Locklear. "Hopefully, this is cleaning house."

More Celina ISD staff issues

Dig deeper:

Since Caleb Elliott’s arrest, two other Celina ISD educators have been arrested for allegedly being intoxicated on campus, and another was placed on leave after separate allegations of misconduct from a previous district surfaced.

"We have got to do something to make sure that we are protecting these kids at all cost," said Kyle Sims, a grandparent of a Celina ISD student.

Locklear said her family members, like other alleged victims, continue to struggle to process what happened. "Their brains are not developed to the point that they can emotionally cope with this," she said.