California High School Football Coach Arrested After Hidden Phone Found Recording Students in Locker Room

Authorities in Northern California have arrested a veteran high school physical education teacher and head football coach after students discovered a mobile phone secretly recording them inside a campus changing facility. The arrest followed a prompt investigation initiated when students found the device positioned inside the locker room and reported the incident to school staff.

The suspect has been identified by the Tracy Police Department as 48-year-old Jeffrey Pribble, a longtime faculty member at Tracy High School. The public high school is located in the community of Tracy, situated east of San Francisco in the Central Valley region.

According to Tracy High School’s official website, social media pages, and district records, Pribble has served as the campus varsity football head coach for the past five years. His professional background indicates extensive experience within the educational system, having worked as an educator within the Tracy Unified School District for approximately 22 years.

The chain of events leading to the coach's apprehension began on a Thursday during school hours. Officials stated that a student alongside several peers was inside the Tracy High School locker room changing clothes when they noticed a cellular telephone positioned to covertly record video of individuals in the room.

Upon realizing that the device was actively capturing footage without their knowledge or consent, the students took immediate steps to halt the recording. They stopped the video function on the phone, deleted the recorded video file from the device, and promptly handed the physical equipment over to a teacher on campus for further inspection.

The incident was brought to the attention of law enforcement later that same day. On Thursday evening, a concerned parent contacted patrol officers with the Tracy Police Department to report the discovery of the concealed recording device inside the high school facility.

Following the initial parental report, the municipal police department mobilized specialized personnel to investigate the situation. School resource officers stationed on campus partnered with municipal detectives to determine the origin of the cellular phone and investigate the full scope of the locker room recording.

By Friday, investigators successfully traced the digital device to Pribble, establishing that the teacher was the registered owner of the mobile phone. Detectives subsequently arrested the 48-year-old varsity coach that same day in connection with the illicit recording discovery.

Following the law enforcement action, the Tracy Unified School District announced that Pribble was formally placed on administrative leave. District authorities confirmed that the coach will remain away from his coaching and teaching responsibilities while both criminal proceedings and district-level internal inquiries are completed.

Tracy High School Principal Jon Waggle informed families of the situation through an official communication sent to parents and guardians. While the principal's message acknowledged that an employee had been arrested following an on-campus incident, the initial correspondence refrained from naming Pribble directly and did not enumerate the specific criminal charges.

In the community notification, Principal Waggle addressed the distress that such news creates among parents, students, and residents. He affirmed that the school district shares the community’s concerns regarding student and staff welfare, stating that the district remains dedicated to maintaining rigorous professional and ethical expectations for all personnel in its employ.

Waggle further stated that school officials are working in full cooperation with municipal law enforcement investigators. He emphasized that Tracy High School and its affiliated campuses prioritize student security, adding that ongoing communication and cooperation between students, families, and faculty members remain critical to maintaining safety across the district.

The Tracy Police Department also addressed the community regarding the arrest, highlighting the vital importance of maintaining safe environments for minors on school grounds. Tracy Police Chief Sekou Millington publicly stated that safeguarding the safety and personal privacy of local students is a fundamental priority for the department.

Chief Millington reiterated that school-aged children are entitled to an expectation of privacy and safety in educational settings, remarking that students should have secure environments where they can learn, mature, and focus on their development.

The police chief concluded by commending the young students who initially identified the concealed phone in the locker room. Millington praised the youths for their quick judgment and courage in turning the device over to responsible adults, emphasizing that their prompt action was essential in enabling detectives and school resource officers to identify the suspect and make an arrest.