Jacob Vaughn
Audio By Carbonatix
Over the last month, the Celina Independent School District has found itself facing a slew of employee arrests, lawsuits and personnel investigations. Four educators with the district have been arrested since early October, while three others have been placed on leave.
The accusations range from claims of sexual abuse to the belief that educators may have been “impaired” while in the classroom. The most recent arrest came when a special education teacher’s aide was accused of being intoxicated.
While Celina ISD has addressed some of the incidents, a district spokesperson did not respond to the Observer’s inquiry as to whether the rash of scandals has inspired conversations about the district’s hiring practices or policies.
Here’s what we know about each of the cases.
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Caleb Elliot
Celina ISD’s controversies started at the beginning of October, when 26-year-old Caleb Elliott, then a middle school history teacher and football coach, was arrested and accused of filming in a boys’ locker room and capturing images that meet the legal definition of child pornography. He has been charged with invasive visual recording and possession or promotion of child pornography. At least 30 families have been notified that their child may have been affected by the filming.
Soon after the arrest, the district states that Caleb Elliott resigned and surrendered his teaching license to the state governing agency, but community members have claimed that this isn’t enough. Elliott is the son of Celina High School football coach Bill Elliott, and some officials have claimed that previous accusations against Caleb Elliott were ignored because of his father’s status in the district.
Two lawsuits have been filed against the district and Caleb Elliott, and one names Bill Elliott, Celina ISD Superintendent Thomas Maglisceau and Moore Middle School Principal Allison Gin in claims of a cover-up. Additional lawsuits are expected.
“It certainly appears that instead of protecting those students, the district chose to protect its ability to go and get another state football championship,” Attorney Quintin Brogdon told reporters last week. “Something’s very wrong with that picture. There needs to be accountability.”
Bill Elliott and Gin have both been placed on non-disciplinary leave as the district conducts a third-party investigation into the hiring and employment of Caleb Elliott. That leave meant that Bill Elliott was not permitted to attend last Friday’s Senior Night football game, despite a community petition requesting an exception to the leave, which garnered nearly 1,000 signatures.
Kristine Coates
A 50-year-old Celina ISD paraprofessional was arrested in Prosper on Oct. 10, WFAA reports, after getting into an altercation with a man. She was charged with injury to a child/elderly/disabled individual.
According to the district, Kristine Coates was placed on administrative leave two days after the arrest, although the man involved in the altercation was not associated with the district. On Oct. 16, the district confirmed that Coates had submitted her resignation.
Jainya Walder
The next arrest came on Oct. 30, when 40-year-old Jainya Walder was removed from her classroom under suspicion of being intoxicated. After being assessed by Celina police officers, she was placed under arrest.
Walder worked at the same middle school as Caleb Elliott, and in a letter sent to parents, interim Principal Kendric Smith acknowledged that Walder’s arrest came during a “challenging” time for the school. Walder faces a charge of child endangerment and has been put on administrative leave, the district said.
Neil Phillips
Celina High School wrestling coach Neil Phillips was also put on administrative leave after the district learned of social media posts accusing Phillips of inappropriate conduct on Oct. 31. The alleged incidents happened when Phillips was employed by Melissa ISD, and Celina officials have said his record showed no evidence of wrongdoing at the time of his hiring.
The Dallas Morning News reports that social media videos appear to show Phillips encouraging students to use an AI chatbot to have sexual conversations. The report states students instructed the bot to go on “sexy mode,” which inspired a string of sexually explicit comments.
According to a Nov. 3 letter sent to parents by Melissa ISD leaders, Phillips was removed from campus on March 5, 2025, after campus leaders were made aware of “concerns” regarding his actions in the classroom. The letter goes on to state that Phillips resigned while an investigation was underway, and that when Celina ISD reached out to Melissa ISD administrators for a reference, they provided a “truthful and accurate” one.
Celina ISD leaders have said the district is “investigating the discrepancy” between Phillips’ seemingly clean record and the March investigation into his conduct.
Micheale Clark
Police were called to Celina High School on Nov. 4 after Micheale Clark, a special education teacher’s aide, was accused of being visibly impaired while in the classroom. According to police, a preliminary investigation resulted in Clark being taken to the Collin County Jail.
She faces a charge of endangering a disabled individual. According to the district, Clark has been placed on administrative leave.
