A promising family legacy in Texas high school football has been shattered by horrifying allegations of abuse and an institutional cover-up, leaving a tight-knit community reeling.
A Dream Turned Nightmare
For Bill Elliott, a revered football coach who led Celina High School to a state victory and was crowned Coach of the Year, having his sons involved in the team was the ultimate dream. That dream has now collapsed into a living nightmare. His 26-year-old son, Caleb Elliott, is facing a series of criminal charges, accused of carrying out a depraved campaign of abuse against at least 30 teenage boys at Moore Middle School in Celina.
Caleb, who previously played for the team known as The Bobcats, was given a job with the squad alongside his brother, Nathan. However, instead of fostering young talent, Caleb is alleged to have exploited his position in the most heinous way. According to two lawsuits filed by distraught parents, the abuse included forcing a young boy to perform jumping jacks naked while he watched, using his phone to capture images of nude boys, and secretly setting up cameras in locker rooms.
Allegations of a Systemic Cover-Up
The scandal deepens with accusations that the institution prioritised reputation over child safety. One lawsuit claims that when Caleb was allegedly discovered to have struck up an inappropriate relationship with a 'vulnerable student' at Celina High School, the school board, under the alleged 'outsize influence' of his father Bill, did not report him to the police or terminate his employment. Instead, in what the lawsuit describes as a 'calculated act of institutional cowardice,' he was simply moved to Moore Middle School, where he is accused of preying on even younger boys.
The lawsuit states damningly: 'This was a deliberate decision by adults in positions of power to sacrifice children on the altar of reputation.' Bill Elliott is named alongside the school district in one of the suits, accused of knowing about his son's alleged misconduct and using his influence to cover it up.
The Unravelling and Aftermath
The alleged abuse came to light in the 2024-25 school year. The second lawsuit claims Caleb was eventually banned from the locker room after being caught installing cameras, for which he allegedly gave the excuse that he 'did not know it was illegal' and was trying to deter theft.
In September of this year, the situation escalated. Boys reported that Caleb would enter the locker room only when other coaches were absent, standing silently to stare at them nude. In one chilling incident, he is alleged to have confiscated a boy's backpack and, as punishment, forced the child to do jumping jacks fully naked.
Suspicions grew that he was photographing the boys, and on October 3, two students claim they saw him 'unmistakably' capturing images of them naked, specifically targeting their genitals and buttocks. The boys reported this to the principal, Allison Ginn, who informed the police.
Caleb was arrested that same night for invasive visual recording. Six days later, he was arrested again on suspicion of possession of child pornography. On October 15, he surrendered his teaching license. Last week, he was booked on a third charge of sexual performance of a child, with bail set at $350,000.
The fallout has been severe. The affected boys are reported to have difficulty sleeping, attending school, and using public changing facilities. Both Bill Elliott and Principal Ginn have been placed on non-disciplinary paid leave pending an internal review.
At a school board meeting, Bill Elliott addressed concerned students, saying, 'I want you to know how sorry I am, and my family is. I understand your anger... I want justice to be done.' His remarks were met with applause, but for the families involved, the search for accountability and healing is just beginning.
