Celina ISD Places Fifth Staff Member on Leave Amid Multiple Misconduct Investigations

Neil Phillips, a wrestling coach and teacher at Celina High School, has been placed on administrative leave as Celina ISD investigates allegations of inappropriate conduct from his previous employment at Melissa ISD. The district became aware of a social media post accusing Phillips of demonstrating an AI tool in a sexually inappropriate manner to freshman students, prompting an immediate investigation and notification to the Texas Education Agency and law enforcement. Phillips had denied any prior disciplinary issues or investigations on his application, and his certification record showed no past misconduct, but the district is probing discrepancies between the application information and the allegations. Phillips' suspension is part of a larger pattern of personnel issues at Celina ISD, including multiple employees placed on leave in recent weeks amid various misconduct allegations, such as a middle school coach charged with possession of child pornography and another teacher arrested for allegedly being intoxicated at school. Celina ISD leadership has emphasized their commitment to transparency and student safety as investigations continue. The situation has sparked lawsuits and increased scrutiny of district administrators' handling of misconduct reports.