Several lawsuits have been filed in the case involving the former Celina ISD coach, William “Caleb” Elliott.
By Suryatapa Chakraborty
Dallas Morning News
https://www.dallasnews.com/
Celina police Chief John Cullison urged lawyers involved in the case of a Celina ISD coach accused of recording students in the locker room to turn in any new evidence to the police, according to a statement shared Thursday on Facebook.
“I want to be very clear that if anyone is going to allege that they have evidence and witnesses related to a criminal case involving children in our community, they have a duty to present that information to law enforcement,” the statement from the police chief said.
A series of lawsuits was filed in the case involving the school district and the former coach, William “Caleb” Elliott.
State Rep. Mitch Little, R-Lewisville, and two attorneys on behalf of the families of 17 victims filed the most recent petition, naming Celina ISD and Elliott as defendants and alleging that other school employees were aware of Elliott’s behavior.
Little accused the police department on Wednesday of ending its investigation too soon.
Cullison said in the statement that he issued letters to four law firms after the comments made by their attorneys, claiming they have new evidence related to the case.
“When new information emerges in this case, we will review the evidence and file charges on behalf of these victims,” the statement said. “I’m backing up my remarks, and I expect these attorneys to do the same.”
In late November, another lawsuit was filed by two new plaintiffs — students who played football at Moore Middle School in 2024 and 2025 when Elliott was their coach.
Two other lawsuits were filed in October, one of which named Celina ISD Superintendent Thomas Maglisceau and Moore Middle School principal Allison Ginn as defendants, as well as the coach’s father, William “Bill” Elliott, head coach of Celina High School.
The earlier lawsuit was filed by the parents of several Celina ISD middle school students against the school district and Elliot.
Suryatapa Chakraborty is a Breaking News Reporter at The Dallas Morning News. She graduated from Boston University in 2025 with a Master of Science in Journalism. She has previously completed internships at the Boston Globe Media and the Cape Cod Times.
This story, originally published in The Dallas Morning News, is reprinted as part of a collaborative partnership between The Dallas Morning News and Texas Metro News. The partnership seeks to boost coverage of Dallas’ communities of color, particularly in southern Dallas.
