Adobe Stock
Audio By Carbonatix
Bill Elliott, the revered head football coach at Celina High School and father of a man accused of illegally filming middle school students in a Celina ISD middle school locker room, announced his retirement on Wednesday morning.
Bill Elliott has worked for the district for 33 years, but has been on leave since October following accusations of sexual abuse against his son, William “Caleb” Elliott. Caleb Elliott has been accused of illegally filming in a middle school locker room while employed as a coach, and faces eight federal counts of sexual exploitation. At least three lawsuits alleging sexual abuse have been filed against Caleb Elliott by the affected families.
The lawsuits suggest that Caleb Elliott exhibited warning signs before being employed at Moore Middle School, but that district officials ignored the allegations out of hope “that nothing else would happen, that their secret would stay buried, that they could protect the Elliott family name.” Bill Elliott is named as a defendant in one of the lawsuits that was filed.
While Bill Elliott has been on leave since October, the district has emphasized that the nondisciplinary action was taken “out of an abundance of caution” while an independent investigation into the allegations against Caleb Elliott was made.
Celina ISD board members have suggested that the investigation found no evidence of district employees being aware of claims against Caleb Elliott prior to his hiring. The results of the investigation are expected to be shared publicly by the end of this week.
In a statement released by Celina ISD, Bill Elliott did not address the charges against his son or suggest that his retirement is related to the investigation.
“Over the past 33 years, I have been blessed with the opportunity to create lasting memories and build meaningful relationships that I will carry with me for the rest of my life,” Elliott said. “I am deeply grateful to Celina ISD for the support and trust extended to me throughout my career, and I wish the district continued success in all its future endeavors.”
